A Guide To Her Heart
by ToxicStudios
Summary: Follow Drew and Violet on their journey to the National Grand Festival.
1. Chapter 1

_COPYRIGHT:  
>I do not own Poke'mon. The document is intended for fan use only and not for sale.<br>No Copyright infringement intended. _

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 1: _Winning In The Shadows_

It was just another normal day in Lavender Town, but at least the Poke'mon Contest was today; it was the only thing Violet ever looked forward too. She sat on the lilac bedding inside her room on the seventh and top floor of Poke'mon Tower. You see, her parents ran the grave site and the family's "house" was upstairs.

Her two Poke'mon made themselves comfortable in their arrangements in the room. Her Poochyena, Dark Thorn, lay curled up inside its little fluffy bed in the corner and Onyx Ice, a Sneasel, sat Indian-style in the opposing corner.

Obviously, Violet loved Dark Poke'mon, as well as Ghost Poke'mon, since she did grow up here in Lavender Town. She never had to worry about the Ghost of Poke'mon Tower; they even seemed to except her as one of their one. A particular Gastly had taken quite a liking to her and was always just outside the door to greet her in the mornings or when she returned from a Poke'mon Contest.

You see, Violet didn't get to speak to people much. Staying in Poke'mon Tower most of the time, the only people she came in contact with were to busy mourning to be her friends. And her parents just flat out didn't seem to care. Poke'mon Contests on the other hand were where Violet was accepted…and stood out. Lavender Town had hosted four Poke'mon Contests, and Violet had won all of them. This was going to be Lavender Town's final contest and if Violet won it, that would make five ribbons, then her parents would let her go to the Grand Festival.

Last season, Violet had wanted more than anything else to go to the Kanto Regional Grand Festival, but her parents forbid her to go. This time, she made a bet with her parents. If she could get all five of her ribbons here in Lavender Town, then they would let her go to the National Grand Festival being held in the Hoenn Region, which was bound to be the greatest assembly of top Coordinators from all around the world. Her parents of course agreed to this because the task was about as impossible as catching the legendary Poke'mon Entei with a month-old Caterpie. The mission involved Violet winning everyone of Lavender Town's Poke'mon Contests this season, and as far as her parents knew, she hadn't won any of them, which Violet actually found highly amusing. Actually…no one knew she had won those four contests. But she had all the confidence in the world in herself and her Poke'mon, and was sure she was going to win this one as well, because once she won this contest, Lavender Town would probably never see her again.

One person once told her that she was too beautiful to have to deal with such cruel parents. She didn't think that she was beautiful, at all. She had long, slightly wavy mauve-colored hair which shimmered in the moonlight and was matched by bright eyes of the same color. She had a gentle-shaped face, a narrow waist, and gracefully small hands. She always wore a mint green and white shirt and a black and white striped skirt. That person who had told her she was beautiful, had been her Grandmother Angelica, who was a Channeler here in Poke'mon Tower. She had taught Violet everything about Ghost and Dark Poke'mon. Her parents, even though they ran Poke'mon Tower, didn't believe Grandmother Angelica's activities were real. Violet herself wasn't sure or not if she believed in channeling spirits, but she did believe in developing connections with them. Either way, her grandmother had a straighter head on than her parents.

Looking down at the purple Haunter-watch on her wrist, Violet noticed that it was 11:30, half an hour until the contest. Dark Thorn, who seemed to have an excellent sense of time, jumped up out of its bed and pranced into Violet's closet. It then came out a moment later with a long, black cloak between its teeth. The purple-haired Coordinator flashed a sweet smile at the small Poke'mon. "Thanks Thorn," she grinned, taking the article of clothing from the Dark Poke'mon. "You ready guys?" she asked, looking at her two allies.

_"Rwarf!"_ the Poochyena barked.

_"Sneaz!"_ the other one replied, elbowing the air as it showed off its sharp claws.

"Good," Violet nodded and stood up. "Let's go win this thing!"

After putting on the black cloak, and putting up the hood to where it hid her eyes as well as half her face, she opened the door to her bed room. Walking through the tombstones on the floor, a familiar Gastly began to float around her head.

_"Gaaaaaasss,"_ the shadow-like Poke'mon greeted.

"Morning Dark Smoke," Violet acknowledged. The Gastly of course didn't actually belong to her, but the two were so close that Violet had proceeded to give it a nickname anyways.

The Ghost Poke'mon accompanied her to the stairs, but then let her go her way as she descended into the lower levels and eventually out the double doors at the base of Poke'mon Tower.

The lobby at the Contest Hall was crowded with Poke'mon Coordinators and Poke'mon, but none of them noticed Violet. She wasn't even herself to them, yet there she was, dawning the mysterious ebony cape to conceal her identity. The moment she made an appearance, a path was cleared for her and murmurs began to fill the room. But _'Violet'_ wasn't the name that was heard; it was _'Shadow.'_ At Poke'mon Contests, Violet signed up under the name 'Shadow' and hid herself beneath her hood, causing suspicion as well as envy to erupt in the swarm of Coordinators at her skill. Little did everyone know that she was nothing more than Mr. Fuji's granddaughter beneath a dark covering.

Then, Violet felt a tugging at the bottom of her cloak. She looked down to see a lean little Pikachu. Violet smiled under her hood at the sweet Poke'mon and gave the little yellow mouse a nod; it climbed up her cloak and sat on her shoulder.

"Pikachu! Pikachu!" a trainer called on the other side of the lobby. He had spiky black hair underneath a vivid red cap and wore blue jeans with a black and yellow vest.

"Trainer," Violet called in a hiss; she had become quite good at using her _"Shadow-voice."_ The boy looked her way and approached her quickly as he noticed the Poke'mon on her shoulder. "Would this be your Pikachu?" she asked, her voice like a ghost. The boy nodded with a grin as the Pikachu jumped into his arms. With a turn, Violet began to walk backstage.

"Thank you for finding Pikachu!" the trainer called. Violet stopped and replied over her shoulder.

"Not thanks required; it found me."

"Um…I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" he smiled again.

Violet smirked. "I'm called Shadow," she said in an oily voice and walked on as she saw a tall, tan boy with dark brown hair and narrow eyes come up behind Ash. He was followed by a short black-haired kid, and a young brown-headed girl wearing red. Quietly, she disappeared into the backstage Coordinator's lounge.

"Thank goodness! You found it Ash!" May smiled.

"Where was it?" Max asked.

"It was with this girl, I couldn't see her face though. It was hid by a cloak," Ash replied.

"Gee May, you and your friends really aren't too bright!"

The group turned around to see a green-haired boy standing before them. He dawned blue jeans, a dark sweater, a purple jacket, and a well-practiced smirk.

"Excuse us," Brock muttered in mock politeness.

"And just what makes you so smart, Drew?" May retorted, hands on her hips.

"That _girl_ Ash was referring to is Shadow," Drew informed them.

"Huh…who's Shadow?" May asked, a confused expression on her face.

"She's won every Lavender Town competition this year! Everyone's talking about her," he smirked knowingly, running a hand through his hair.

"Wow. Sounds good," Max said simply.

"DON'T PUT THE PRESSURE ON ME!" May wailed to her little brother.

"Sorry! Sorry!" he cried and glanced away nervously. May let out a puff of exasperated breath, making Drew laugh out loudly at her.

"What's so funny?" the mahogany-haired girl asked coldly.

"Shadow is the least of your worries as long as I'm competing too!" he told her, still smirking as walked off towards the backstage room.

"Oooh!" May growled, clenching her fists as her rival left her sight.

"Alright, let's welcome our first Coordinator, Drew!" Lillian Meridian announced as Drew appeared onstage.

"Flygon, let's go!" he declared. Flygon emerged from its poke'ball, shimmering with enthusiasm. "Sandstorm!" Drew directed. With its powerful wings, Flygon whipped up a sandstorm that gushed around the stage, throwing everyone's hair astray and sending up flurries and tufts of sand. "Now use sand tomb!" commanded the green-haired Coordinator. With Flygon's eyes glowing like gems, the sand began to morph, forming a tall pillar in the middle of the stage. "Wrap it up with hyper beam!" Drew instructed, a "full-of-himself" smile on his face. Flygon let loose a golden ray at the pillar and on contact it exploded into a shower of dusty sparkles.

"Wow! Not _that's_ a way to start a contest! Let's see what the judges thought of Drew! Mr. Contesta?" Lillian spoke.

"He did an excellent job of combining moves and showing off his Poke'mon's secondary type even though its known for being a dragon and not a ground-type," Raul Contesta said professionally.

"Remarkable!" Sukizo grinned.

"He's raised Flygon so well, and the two perform wonderfully together!" Nurse Joy beamed. Drew's scores appeared across the board. From Mr. Contesta, he received a 9.5, from Sukizo a 10, and another 10 from Nurse Joy.

"Outstanding! With a score of 29.5, Drew's fired up this contest already!" Lillian proclaimed as Drew walked off stage.

"Top that May!" he challenged as he brushed past her in the Coordinator's lounge. May then mumbled something under her breath that sounded something like "Jerk!" as soon as he was out of earshot.

A couple Coordinators later…

"Okay, let's welcome May!" Lillian broadcasted. Once on stage, May released her poke'ball high into the air the flash of white light signaled the arrival of her Combusken.

"Fire spin!" May chimed. Combusken produced a ring of fire from its beak that rose up into the air, forming a flaming sphere. "Okay, sky uppercut!" May finished and her Poke'mon jumped into the air. Claws glowing, it struck the flames directly, making the embers shower down over the field in a beautiful, fiery rain.

"Wonderful! Judges?" Lillian asked. "She showed off both of Combusken's types in her performance. Well done!" Mr. Contesta said.

"Remarkable!" Sukizo added.

"Yes! Simply beautiful!" Nurse Joy agreed. Between all of the judges, May received a 28, enough to get her into the finals.

"Alright, the appeal you've all been waiting for! Here's the mysterious Shadow!" Lillian publicized, attempting to make an eerie ghost face to which she failed miserably.

Violet emerged onto the stage, hood mysteriously hanging over her eyes and most of her face.

"I choose you, Onyx Ice!" Violet announced and the crowd cheered, her Sneasel obviously being a crowd-pleaser.

"Ah, it's her Sneasel that she calls Onyx Ice. We've seen this Poke'mon before but has Shadow cooked up anything new?" Lillian questioned.

"Onyx, ice Beam!" Violet called. Gracefully, Onyx Ice shot the ice beam, a mini-glacier appearing in the middle of the stage. "Get behind that thing and use night shade!" The Sneasel placed its claws against the ice and released the shadows from its palms. Darkness oozed into the ice, bubbling like lava inside a lava-lamp, causing the crowd to ooh and ah at the glacier. "Now, brick break!" Violet exclaimed. Onyx Ice pummeled into the sheet of ice and it burst, beautiful dark sparkles making the stage shimmer like it was surrounded in onyx crystals.

"What an amazing display!" Lillian squealed with excitement. "Judges?"

"Not only did she use a variety of Sneasel…er, excuse me…Onyx Ice's moves, she also performed two different displays that were both very beautiful!" Mr. Contesta complimented.

"Remarkable!" Sukizo grinned.

"Such a healthy Sneasel and such a wonderful appeal!" Nurse Joy beamed.

May gasped in the backstage room as Shadow received a perfect score of thirty. "She's unbelievable!"

"I warned you that she was good," Drew told her, arms crossed.

The screen revealed that the finalists were Drew, May, Shadow, and Charlie, a Coordinator with a Noctowl. May wished she could face him, but she had to go up against Drew, while Shadow got to battle Charlie.

Her victory was incredible! When Noctowl launched an attack, she had Onyx Ice just stay put and then use ice beam when the owl Poke'mon was only about a foot in front of it, knocking it out in one hit!

May and Drew were up next, Combusken and Flygon appearing on stage shortly after their Coordinators. With that, the timer started.

"Fire spin!" May called and Combusken opened its mouth, sending a fiery vortex racing towards Flygon.

"Flygon, take flight!" Drew commanded. Flygon surged upwards into the air, managing to get out the way just in time.

"Sky uppercut!" May shouted again and Combusken jumped into the air after the dragon.

"Now, grab it!" instructed Drew. Flygon easily caught Combusken despite its scrawny forearms, rendering its uppercut useless. This pulled a gasp from May while her opponent flashed a smirked. "Seismic toss!" Drew directed and Flygon obeyingly flipped in the air, sending Combusken crashing into the ground.

"Combusken, use double ki-" but May was cut off by the buzzer.

"Times Up! And looks like Drew's the winner!" Lillian announced, a picture of Drew and Flygon appearing on the big screen.

"It's okay May. You can still get enough ribbons in other contests!" Ash said assuringly.

"Good effort."

May looked up to see the hooded figure of Shadow hovering just over her.

"Thanks," she said with a smile and a nod as Shadow headed for the stage. "Shadow, will you do me a favor?" May called. The cloaked girl stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Beat Drew!" May exclaimed. Shadow smirked and arrived on the stage without a word.

"I hope you're as good as you seem," Drew whispered to the mauve-haired girl on is way to his side of the stage. "I could use a challenge!" he smirked yet again. His shoulder brushed hers as he went by, sending a cold chill through both of them. The girl beneath the hood shook off the strange sensation as she called out Onyx Ice and Drew did the same with Flygon, and the battle began.

"Dragonbreath, Flygon!" Drew called.

"Onyx, slash through it!" Violet instructed. Onyx Ice dove into the flames, its claws seething right through the embers.

"Oooh! That's gonna take Drew down a couple of points!" Lillian exclaimed.

"Aerial ace!" Drew commanded. Wings spread wide, Flygon dove for Onyx Ice.

"Stop it in its tracks!" Shadow hissed. Onyx Ice abruptly grabbed Flygon by the wings, stopping it dead. "End this! Night shade!" Shadow directed, and the stage was engulfed in blinding darkness.

"What? No one can see!" Lillian gasped.

"I've never seen night shade used like this before!" Drew mumbled in frustration.

"Tell me Drew…are you afraid of the dark?" Shadow's slithering voice snaked through the darkness to Drew's ears.

"Oooh! Listen to _that _taught! It's sending chills down _my _spine!" Lillian said in the darkness. Then, Drew heard his Flygon wail and everyone knew that the Sneasel had finally attacked. The buzzer went off and the darkness dissipated, only for the crowd to see that Flygon was slumped to the ground, its eyes spinning and its wings twitching slightly.

"And that's it, Shadow is the winner!" Lillian announced.

_"Finally…"_ Violet thought to herself. _"I did it."_


	2. Chapter 2

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 2: _Poke'mon Tower of Terror_

"Okay, that's it. Everything else is at Grandpa's house," Violet exclaimed, closing up her black knapsack. "Its time to blow this popsicle stand, guys!" she told her Poke'mon, returning them to their poke'balls. Then, she pulled up the hood of her cloak and left her room on the top floor of Poke'mon Tower for the final time.

It was the middle of the night, and most of the ghosts were out playing. Almost instantly, Violet was greeted by a familiar Gastly.

_"Gaaaassss," _it grinned.

"Hey, Dark Smoke," the Coordinator smiled weakly. "Hey buddy, we need to talk."

_"Gaaasss?"_ it said, tilting its body to show confusion.

"I'm…leaving, Smoke," she forced the words out of her mouth, looking at the Gastly forgivingly. The purple Poke'mon blinked at her, then shook its head, its large smile quickly faltering.

"I'm so sorry!" Violet apologized, reaching out for it, only to have it jerk away.

_"Gaaasssss!"_ it wailed, a dark flash from its eyes sending Violet hurtling backwards. Suddenly, a horde of other Gastly and Haunter surrounded Dark Smoke. It uttered something to them in their tongue, and was soon joined in its excessive mourning.

Wincing on the ground from the hazy flash, Violet looked up at her Ghost Poke'mon friends. She was quickly surrounded, some of them looking hurt and the others looking angry and she heard a jumble of wails begging her not to go.

"I'm sorry guys, but I have to!" she proclaimed. Then, their faces growing cross, the ghost Poke'mon surrounded the Coordinator in dense shadows. "You guys!" she cried, trying to wave them away. Then another horrible flash struck her. At first the darkness from the attack consumed her, but when she tried to open her eyes after the attack, there was still only darkness. She was out cold.

Drew sat on the floor, leaning back against the grave wall on the bottom floor of Poke'mon Tower, his eye lids droopy but refusing to close.

_"Hey, this is better than that crowded Poke'mon Center,"_ he told himself. Just then, he heard a loud _'thump'_ from upstairs. _"Probably just a ghost,"_ he thought to himself. He was well aware of the Ghost Poke'mon that haunted the tower, but he was perfectly safe here on the first floor. Unexpectedly, a white light erupted from a poke'ball at his waist and his Absol appeared by his side.

_"'Saul!"_ it roared, running off towards the stairs.

"Absol! Where are you going?" Drew demanded, jumping to his feet. "Get back here!" he shouted, now fully awake as he chased the great white Poke'mon up the stairs.

He pursued the so-called "Disaster Poke'mon" up through the floors until he reached the seventh. "Now-wha-what is it, Absol?" Drew panted, hands on his knees. He could hear the battle cries of Ghost Poke'mon, instantly making him look up.

Before him was a group of specter Poke'mon hovering over a slumped figure on the ground between an arrangement of tombstones. Drew's eyes narrowed and he stepped forward. "Absol, crunch attack!" he ordered, pointing at the group of floating Poke'mon. Rearing back, the white Poke'mon covered itself in a dark aura and charged for the group. But then, it disappeared into the shadows. Moments later it appeared behind the group of ghosts and slammed its body into them. On contact, the aura spread and knocked its opponents backward, away from the fallen person, leaving Absol to stand guard in front of them.

Drew's hand slapped his forehead. "That was faint attack," he sighed.

A Haunter glared angrily at the white Poke'mon and shot a ray of black light at it, to which Absol matched with a shadow ball. The two attacks collided and created a haze that blinded Drew and the other Poke'mon. When the smoke cleared, the Absol was by Drew's side with the cloaked figure slumped over its back. "Its Shadow!" the green-haired Coordinator exclaimed in surprise.

_"'Saul! Ab-saul!"_ his Poke'mon barked, rocketing down the steps. Drew took off after it, looking back as the ghost Poke'mon gave chase.

Out of the blue, an orb of darkness came from behind and sent Drew, Absol, and Shadow crashing into the wall of the next level. Drew grunted as Shadow landed almost on top of him, hitting him dead-on in the chest and her hood flying off her head. Opening his eyes, he starred down at her as her eyes fluttered open. They were a deep purple, exactly the same color as her hair.

"Erm…who are you?" she asked, blinking back into reality and getting off of him.

"Drew," he replied quickly as Absol lept between the two teens and the Ghost Poke'mon that were advancing on them from the staircase. They were practically surrounded. Violet gave a fiery glance in the Absol's direction to which it responded to with a curt nod.

"Use dark pulse!" she ordered. The white-pelted Poke'mon arched its back, a mass of darkness forming around its body. Then, with a roar, it sent it outward at the Ghost Poke'mon in one huge dark seismic attack. Wailing loudly, the Ghost Poke'mon fled after into the walls of Poke'mon Tower.

Sitting on her knees, her arms around the Absol's neck, she petted it gratefully.

"Thank you," she smiled at it.

_"'Saul!"_ it grinned back at her happily, leaning into her touch.

"Absol, I didn't even know you knew that move," Drew told it, kneeling on its other side.

_"'Saul,"_ it shrugged. Drew gave it a somewhat annoyed look.

"Thanks, Drew. You and your Absol really saved me!" the mauve-haired girl told him.

"Why didn't you fight back? You have plenty Dark Poke'mon of your own!" he exclaimed.

"Actually, those Ghost Poke'mon were my friends. I didn't _want_ to attack them," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "And how do you know I have Dark Poke'mon?"

"You're still wearing that cape, genius," Drew smirked, pointing to her clothing. She blinked a moment.

"…Oh no!" she wept, fumbling for her hood even though she knew it was too late. "Now you've seen me!"

Drew laughed at her, and not politely either. "So this is the real Shadow!" Violet looked up at him and beamed cheekily.

"Yeah," she replied. Hm, Drew hadn't received a smart remark. Had he been talking to May she would be jumping down his throat by now.

"Well…don't worry about loosing your hood. I won't be around long enough to tell anyone your secret," he told her.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked.

"I'm heading for the National Grand Festival, if you must know," he told her, beginning to get annoyed. Why did he even tell her? He could've just said, "None of your business!"

"Really? I'm going for that too!" she told him. His eyebrow twitched; it wasn't good for him or any other Coordinator if Shadow was going to be at the National Grand Festival. He looked to see her continuing to play with his Absol, scratching the back of its horn and receiving a lick in the face. Drew found this a bit hard to soak in; who would've thought the infamous Shadow was so…girly?

"How did you know Absol knew dark pulse?" he asked her, trying to be civilized - not one of his best qualities.

"Dark Poke'mon and I sorta just click. That's all," she told him, still paying attention to the white-pelted Poke'mon.

"Hmph," Drew grumbled, standing up and plucking a poke'ball from his belt before dropping it in front of Violet.

"Huh? What is it?" she asked, confused.

"I can't do a thing with it," Drew replied, referring to Absol. The Poke'mon gave him a short glare with its piercing red eyes, but then continued to associate with the other Coordinator.

"So…you want me to have it?" Violet asked, looking for confirmation.

"Sure," Drew shrugged, heading for the door. Giving an enemy a Poke'mon wasn't normally at the top of his to-do list, but Absol would probably just hold him back anyway; Dark-type Poke'mon weren't his thing.

"Okay!" Violet beamed, picking up Absol's poke'ball, much to the Poke'mon's delight. "You've got to let me pay you back then!" she insisted. Drew groaned loudly.

"Fine, Shadow," he told her.

"Oh, by the way, my real name's Violet," she informed him. The mint-haired Coordinator couldn't help but to snicker.

_"Should've guessed,"_ he thought, looking at her bright purple hair.

At that moment, a Gastly materialized from mist behind Violet. The hairs on Absol's back rose but Violet raised a hand to stop it.

"This is Dark Smoke, a friend of mine," she introduced.

"Hmph, some friend if it tried to smother you with shadow attacks!" Drew sneered, receiving a warning look from all three of them. Turning back to the Gastly, Violet flashed it an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry buddy, but you know how it is." With that, she removed her cloak, and set it on Dark Smoke's head, so it flowed down and hovered above the ground. The Gastly laughed as the hood fell over its face, and soared around happily. "I'll miss you!" Violet grinned, heading for the door. Dark Smoke nodded in her direction and flashed her one last smile before disappearing into the darkness.

"Come on, you guys," Violet called to Absol and Drew over her shoulder as she opened the double doors. The Absol was by Violet's side in moments, but Drew hung back.

"Where?" he asked suspiciously.

"My Grandpa's house!" she replied with a grin.

Drew and Absol followed Violet into the small house as an elderly man about the same height as them came out from the back.

"Mr. Fuji?" Drew gasped, along with Absol.

"At your service," the old man chuckled, putting his arm around Violet. "I'm Violet's grandfather. Vi, is this young man a friend of yours?" Mr. Fuji asked.

"You could say that," Violet told him. "Gramps, look!" she added, opening her ribbon case to reveal five ribbons. Apprently, Violet didn't mind sharing her secret with her grandfather.

"Oh Violet, well done!" her grandfather exclaimed, hugging his granddaughter. "I take it you're here to get your things. It's a bit late isn't it?"

"Yeah," Violet laughed nervously. "But I was hoping you would let Drew and I spend the rest of the night here. In the morning we'll be on our way," she explained.

"Of course, my dear!" Mr. Fuji answered. "The both of you are welcome! Oh and what a wonderful Absol!" the old man chortled, kneeling to pet it.

"Drew," Violet said, turning to him. "There's a bedroom in the back for you."

"Yeah, thanks," he replied carelessly, brushing past her. Hey, rescuing this chick was paying off, for a night at least.

"Hey Drew," she called suddenly.

"What is it?" he asked, stopping halfway down the hallway. "I was wondering if…you could…" the female Coordinator's words stumbled out of her mouth, not getting anywhere.

"Well?" Drew ushered. "Out with it already."

"I was wondering if you could escort me to the National Grand Festival!" Violet blurted out. Drew quirked his eyebrow at her, giving her a strange look. Oh, he saw her game now. Politely invite him in and give him a place to stay, then bombard him with this. Well, it wasn't going to work. He opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off again.

"Please! Please! Plleeeaasssseeeee!" she begged childishly.

_"'Sssaaauuullll!"_ the Absol added, which also probably translated into "Plleeeaasssseeeee!" Drew heaved a loud sigh.

"I'll think about it, okay?" What on earth? Didn't he just tell himself that he wasn't going to be bothered with this girl?

"Yay! Thanks Drew!" Violet grinned and rushed off to her own room, followed by the Absol.

A dreaded thought crossed Drew's mind. _"What have I gotten myself into?"_


	3. Chapter 3

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 3: _On the Road to Saffron City_

Drew's eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal a white ceiling with the traditional porcupine-shaped spikes. Pushing himself to a sitting position, he reminded himself that he was in a back bedroom in Mr. Fuji's house as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Then he remembered something else:

_"Hey Drew," she called suddenly. _

_"What is it?" he asked, stopping halfway down the hallway. _

_"I was wondering if…you could…" the female Coordinator's words stumbled out of her mouth, not getting anywhere. _

_"Well?" Drew ushered. "Out with it already."_

_"I was wondering if you could escort me to the National Grand Festival!" Violet blurted out. Drew quirked his eyebrow at her, giving her a strange look. Oh, he saw her game now. Politely invite him in and give him a place to stay, then bombard him with this. Well, it wasn't going to work. He opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off again. _

_"Please! Please! Plleeeaasssseeeee!" she begged childishly. _

_"'Sssaaauuullll!" the Absol added, which also probably translated into "Plleeeaasssseeeee!" Drew heaved a loud sigh. _

_"I'll think about it, okay?" _

Okay, so was he going to take her with him or not? His head throbbed with the possible solutions to the unanswered question as he got out of bed.

_"First off,"_ he told himself. _"This girl is possibly the most annoying person I've ever met."_ This was true; not only could she beat him in a contest battle, but she was almost _too_ cheerful for Drew to look at. _"On the other hand, if she comes with me, I would know all her secrets. Then beating her at the National Grand Festival would be a piece of cake!" _he thought as he pulled his black long-sleeved shirt over his head. Well…that would be a good upside to having her travel with him. Although it might do horrible things to his sanity, it was a good strategy. _"Alright, I've made my decision,"_ he forced himself to think, putting his arms through the sleeves of his thin purple jacket. _"But I don't have to like it!"_ he added.

Drew made his way down the stairs into the kitchen to see Mr. Fuji at the stove and Violet sitting at the square table, a bowl of chowder in front of her; she was still in a lavender tank-top and too-short shorts, her "sleeping outfit" no doubt. Her Poke'mon, including Absol, were laying out on the floor also indulging in the chowder.

"Morning, Drew," she beamed at him, a spoon half-way to her mouth. Drew gestured towards her with his hand, the best wave he was willing to give at the moment.

"Would you like some chowder, Drew?" Mr. Fuji asked.

"Yes please," he replied, leaning against the kitchen counter. He looked down at Absol who was at his feet. The white-pelted Poke'mon looked up at him for a moment, then went back to lapping up its broth.

"White Fang really likes Grandpa's chowder! Of course, who doesn't?" Violet laughed as Drew sat down across from her with his bowl.

_"Sneaz," _Onyx Ice agreed, holding up its bowl to its face and slurping down the soup like a child slurps up milk after they have finished with their cereal.

_"Arrgff!" _Dark Thorn added, lapping up the liquid in the bowl next to Absol's.

"White Fang?" Drew questioned, raising an eyebrow at the other Coordinator.

"Absol's new name," she responded, downing the last of her chowder with a loud gulp. Drew flashed the lot of them a couple strange looks, then shrugged and proceeded to eat his breakfast.

"You better get dressed," he told her a few minutes later, interrupting what sounded like to him a one-sided conversation between Violet and Dark Thorn.

"Hm? Why?" she asked curiously.

"I want to get an early start on the road," he answered. "Saffron's not far, and we could be there by this afternoon if we leave soon," he went on. He noticed the mauve-haired girl's eyes light up.

"You mean-?" she began.

"Yeah, I'll take you to the National Grand Festival…" he said with what sounded like a great deal of effort.

"Really?" she cried, dashing to his side in mere seconds.

_"Wow, she's fast,"_ Drew thought.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck in a gleeful hug. Dark Thorn then jumped into his lap and started happily licking him in the face.

"Alright, enough! Get off! Both of you!" he ordered, forcing the Poochyena to the floor and pushing Violet off of him. She gave a nervous laugh and restrained herself, pulling her hands together like she was about to burst out into a fit of girly giggles.

"Sorry Drew!" she apologized. "I'll get my stuff!" And with that, raced up the stairs. Drew heaved a loud sigh and sunk back into his chair.

"I envy you, young man," Mr. Fuji complimented. Drew looked up at him peculiarly.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I can't believe you're agreeing to take her with you!" he chuckled. "You must have a great deal of patience to put up with my granddaughter!"

_"That's what you think,"_ Drew thought to himself amusingly.

"Why? Wouldn't you have done the same thing?" Drew queried.

"Me?" Mr. Fuji gasped. "No sir ree! Absolutely not!" Drew looked at the old man in surprise. "She'd have me off my rocker!" the elder went on. Drew groaned and leaned back in his chair again.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he asked himself outloud.

The early morning sun beat down on Drew as he and Violet approached the West gate of Lavender Town. Out of the blue, the purple-haired Coordinator went tumbling forward, doing a picture-perfect face-plant in the dirt.

"I…er…lost my footing?" she said nervously, hoping it was a good excuse for her flat-out clumsiness. Drew rolled his eyes.

"Get up," he told her, his voice obviously showing his annoyed state. Violet did as he said, picking up her black knapsack and slinging it over her shoulder, she exited through the gate and took a left. Drew displayed an amused look at her that she couldn't see.

"Hmph, wrong way," he smiled, standing at the gate. Violet abruptly changed directions without a word, her course turning to the right of Lavender Town's entrance, her face still dawning the same happy-go-lucky grin. Drew smirked at her lack of common sense.

"Try again, sunshine," came the arrogant comment from the green-haired boy. Violet looked at him and pouted for a moment, then came to stand next to him.

"Okay then Drew, lead the way!" she smiled widely.

"You only had one more direction to choose from, genius," he pointed out, setting down the road ahead. Violet sighed out loud and shrugged, then, taking one last look at her hometown, she followed Drew down the pathway to the next city.

They waked in silence for the longest time ever, but Violet didn't seem to mind. However, she would like to know _exactly_ where they were going in the long run.

"So, where's the National Grand Festival anyways?" she asked.

"Back in Hoenn," Drew replied. "The National Grand Festival still only requires you to have five ribbons, but Coordinators are traveling over all the regions to get them. More variety in the competition that way," he continued.

"How many do you have?" Violet asked curiously. He flashed her an open ribbon case with two ribbons inside. "So, we're going to travel all over Kanto so you can get your three remaining ribbons, and then we're going to Hoenn for the Festival?" Violet said, looking for confirmation. Drew shrugged.

"Don't know. I'm going to compete in Saffron's contest, but I think I'd like to go back to Hoenn for the other two," he said thoughtfully.

"That works," Violet agreed with a smile.

There was another little while where they didn't speak. Violet knew it was only a day's walk to Saffron City, and the sun was high in the sky, her purple Haunter-watch reading 2:15 pm. She guessed that they'd reach Saffron in a couple of hours. Suddenly she swore she heard a rustling in the bushes.

"What's that?" she asked outloud.

"What is it?" Drew questioned, turning around.

"I think there's something over there in the bushes," she replied, charging into the brush before Drew could stop her.

"Violet, stop! It's probably just a Poke'mon!" he told her. Frustrated, he pushed some fauna aside and trudged after her.

Drew followed Violet through the shrubbery until they came to a clearing where they found a little girl, broke down into tears. She had long pink hair and bright sapphire eyes. She was at least half of Violet's height and wore a slim-fit pink dress and a matching headband.

"Hello, is everything alright?" Violet asked softly, making the little girl turn around.

"Hello, no everything is not alright," she whimpered, drying her tears. Her face seemed to light up when she saw Violet and Drew.

"Are you lost?" Violet went on. "Where do you live?"

"I'm lost. I live in Saffron City," the pink-haired girl replied, now in the same tone that Violet spoke in. The mauve-haired Coordinator flashed Drew a questioning look; this was a strange little girl.

"We'll take you to Saffron," Drew told her, kneeling down to her height. "What's your name?"

"What's your name?" she repeated. Drew quirked his eyebrow.

"I'm Drew," he replied.

"Now what's your name, sweetheart?" Violet asked, bending so she too came down to the girl's level.

"Now what's your name?" the girl replicated.

"Um…I'm Violet," the Coordinator responded with a strange giggle to which the little girl copied.

"I'm Karen the Copycat!" she laughed, skipping off out of the bushes. She turned and looked back at them. Then, she anxiously waved them to come with her and pranced down the path.

"Something tells me she's not really lost," Violet thought outloud, scratching the side of her face with a grin on her lips.

"Really?" Drew added. "_Whatever_ gave you that idea?" he groaned, walking on.

Drew and Violet quickly realized that the only way either of them could tolerate Karen, was for neither of them to speak, which worked for a while. but it wasn't long before Karen started complaining about all the walking.

"Violet, my feet hurt!" Karen wailed.

"Well…" Violet began, before a mischief smile appeared on her face. "Drew could give you a ride," she finished slyly.

"Drew could what?" Drew repeated, glaring at his traveling partner, only to have little Karen jump onto his back.

"Yay! Drew can give me a ride!" Karen laughed. Drew deepened his angry stare at Violet and gripped the little girl's legs so she wouldn't fall.

"Just wait until we get to Saffron!" he muttered heatedly under his breath as he passed Violet, causing a quiet giggle to escape her lips.

When they finally did reached Saffron City, Karen was quick to bound off of Drew and run off.

"I can find my way from here! Thanks guys!" she called as she disappeared onto the city streets.

"I thought we'd never get here!" Violet sighed.

_"You?" _Drew barked. "_You_ didn't carry that brat half way from Lavender Town!" he spat, pointing a finger at Violet.

"Well, you could've just called out Flygon to carry her," Violet told him brightly. Drew blinked at her as she walked on into the city streets, then banged his head against the palm of his hand.

The two walked through the tall sky scrapers until they reached the Poke'mon Center, only to find that Ash, May, Max, and Brock were already there. Drew smirked and walked in, followed by Violet.

"Well…look what the Delcatty dragged in!" he said, making May turn around.

"Oh, _hey_ Drew!" she said with false excitement.

"Wow! Who's your friend, Drew?" Brock asked, he's eyes practically popping out of his head as he took Violet's hands in his own.

"Emphasis on _Drew's_ friend, not yours!" Max said, pulling Brock away by his ear. Violet's only reaction to this was a nervous but cute giggle while her green-haired traveling partner rolled his eyes.

"You don't know her? You've met her before," Drew told them matter-of-factly.

"Uh? When?" Ash asked, confused. Violet hadn't planned on telling Ash and his friends about her being Shadow, but it couldn't hurt right?

"My name's Violet…I…huh…_am_ Shadow," Violet stuttered. The gang gasped in unison.

"If your Shadow, what does she call her Poochyena?" Max asked professionally, apparently having studied up since their last encounter. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, making them glisten in the sunlight.

"Dark Thorn," Violet answered quickly.

"She _is_ Shadow!" Max said, surprised. Drew didn't bother to point that any Shadow fan would've known this.

Violet and May stood at the front desk inside the Poke'mon Center, waiting for their Poke'mon's check-ups to be completed.

"So, you're traveling with Drew?" May asked. Violet nodded.

"He's taking me to the National Grand Festival," she explained.

"Would you like to come with Ash and us? We're a lot nicer than Drew, I assure you!" she offered.

"No thanks," Violet replied, not seeming to think twice about the question. She figured it'd get crowded traveling with so many people. _"Not to mention poor Drew's all alone,"_ she told herself. _"Someone's got to keep him company!"_ May looked a bit shocked herself at Violet's response. "Me and him might be going back to Hoenn soon anyway," the amethyst-eyed girl continued.

"Well…okay then," May half-smiled, dropping the subject.

Violet shared a room with May at the Poke'mon Center that night. Her and May sat in the floor of the rented area, dressed in their night clothes and discussing May's appeal for the next contest, when they heard a knock on the wood of the open door.

The two looked up to see Drew leaning against the door frame. His light blue jeans and his faded yellow socks had stayed in place but he was now shirtless, ready for bed.

"Goodnight ladies," he said somewhat carelessly, another one of his frequent smirks on his face. He just thought he'd drop by to be _polite._

"Get lost Drew!" May said demandingly. Drew shrugged and turned, exiting from their doorway to head for his own room. Violet sent a hard look May's way.

"That wasn't nice," she half-pouted. May opened her mouth in an 'o' out of disbelief.

Violet hopped to her feet and raced into the hallway in time to catch Drew as he was about to open the door to his room.

"Goodnight Drew!" she smiled, flashing a smile that was meant to make up for May's harshness. Drew looked at her for a moment then turned his face back towards the door.

"'Night," he said with something of a smile and left the hall.

"What was _that_ all about?" May asked.

"What was what?" Violet queried, turning her head. "Oh well," she yawned lazily, slipping into her bed closest to the door. "The Poke'mon Contest is the day after tomorrow! You should rest up!" the Dark Poke'mon Coordinator exclaimed as her friend reluctantly got into the other bed, turning off the lamp.

"Yeah, 'Night Vi," she said in the dark.

"'Night May," Violet replied.


	4. Chapter 4

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 4: _Stealing the Competition_

"Hurry up, James! This dress isn't going to hem itself!" Jessie whined impatiently, daunting the bright orange, "Alice-in-Wonderland-looking" style dress atop the tree stump while James and Meowth tended to the shredded ends with needles and thread.

"Well it's quite difficult when you won't be still!" James whimpered.

"Oh quit complaining!" the young ruby-haired woman bit back, looking at herself in a small hand-held mirror. "Now…what Poke'mon should I use?" she though outloud.

"I don't think it really matterz!" Meowth snickered to James quietly. "If she lost da last contest, why would she'z win dis one?" The lavender-haired male laughed under his breath in response.

"Quiet you two!" Jessie growled, slapping the both of them in the head from above. "Hmm…" she thought. "Wobbuffet should do."

"May, don't you think you should be practicing or something?" Violet stuttered as the brunette Coordinator pushed her out of the ladies' dressing room. Before May could say anything, Violet heard a group 'ah' behind her. She turned around to see Max smiling, Ash grinning, and Brock gawking.

"WWOOWW!" the Breeder cried, taking Violet's hands in his. "You look absolutely stunning, Vi - may I call you Vi? - beautiful, exquisite, astounding, eleg-"

"Yeah, yeah, we know!" Max sighed as he rolled his eyes and tugged Brock away by his ear. Ash just laughed at his friends. "Ya look good, Violet!" he beamed, flashing her a thumbs-up.

"Thanks," Violet smiled back, turning in the mirror. She wore a short top that showed her shoulders and midrift, and was a dark navy color; the pointed-toe boots were also the same pigment. Her skirt was long, coming to her ankles, and was an angelic white. She twirled in the mirror to get a better image of herself.

"Told you!" May giggled with a wink.

"Hey," Violet said suddenly, looking back and forth. "Where's Drew?"

"He left…kinda before we came in," Ash explained awkwardly.

"Don't you mean 'snuck away?'" Max mumbled under his breath.

Now dressed in her normal clothes, Violet, Ash, and the others lounged lazily around the Poke'mon Center. Violet couldn't understand why May wasn't practicing for the Contest tomorrow.

It was now almost sunset, and with no sign of Drew, Violet took it upon herself to scout out for him. She sighed loudly, breathing in the afternoon air as she stepped out of the Poke'mon Center.

"I wonder where he could be?" she thought outloud. "It's getting late." Suddenly, a flash of white light burst from her waistline, causing the white-pelted Poke'mon to appear beside her.

"'_Saul!"_ it barked, racing off down the street to the left.

"White Fang! Where are you going?" the amethyst-eyed girl cried, sprinting after the Absol.

Violet chased the Poke'mon to the outskirts of Saffron, only to have it crouch down in a thicket of bushes at the edge of the forest. Panting heavily, she kneeled next to it.

"Fang, wh-what ..is it?" she gasped out, using the Absol's powerful shoulders to steady herself after the run.

"'_Aabbb - ssaauulll," _White Fang grumbled deep in his throat, unusually quiet, and ushered to a clearing only a few yards away from them, hidden by a haven of tall trees.

Violet squinted her eyes, her pupils darting through the area before her as she looked for the source of White Fang's interest. Then, an unexpected scent wafted up her nostrils. Incredibly sweet, she inhaled deeply and mewled as a taste strangely equivalent to that of cotton candy coated her taste buds. Looking to her Poke'mon beside her, she noticed that the Absol's eyes were half-lidded, its nose high in the air. It seemed to grin at her before releasing a curt "_'Saul!" _and dashing off in the direction it had indicated. Violet blinked rapidly.

"Uh…White Fang! Wait up!"

She bolted after the Absol again, the saccharine smell growing stronger with every pounding step she took.

"Roselia, use petal dance!" came the command from no where, and Violet watched as a storm of peach petals pelted down on her and White Fang, who was only a few paces in front of her. Throwing her arms in front of her face for protection, she grimaced at the challenge.

"White Fang, dark pul- Huh? Drew?" Violet canceled her order as she glanced up to see Drew and Roselia standing across the clearing they had arrived in, the flurry of flower parts ceasing. "Hey! Why'd you attack us?" the mauve-haired girl cried.

"We didn't _attack_ you," Drew replied in a 'matter-of-fact' tone. "Roselia and I were training. You two just happened to show up at a bad time."

"Oh…" sighed Violet. Drew rolled his eyes.

"What are you guys doing out here anyways?" he asked.

"Looking for you," Violet replied, then she giggled cheekily. "Er…sorta. I _was _looking for you until White Fang smelt something nice and went running off in this direction. Sorry about that."

"That was Roselia's sweet scent," Drew explained, crossing his arms and looking at Violet like a teacher looks at an ignorant child.

"I knew that!" Violet insisted, hands on her hips and never letting the grin leave her face. "Um….it's getting late. Shouldn't you.. I mean, _we _be getting back to the Poke'mon Center?"

Drew looked at the sky being painted a yellow-gold color as the sun sank behind the forest on the outskirts of Saffron City.

"Last minute training never hurt," he exclaimed, returning his rose-dawning Poke'mon back to its poke'ball. Violet knew he must be referring to tomorrow's Poke'mon Contest.

"Yes, but you need your rest too, mister!" she laughed, shaking a finger at him.

"What are you? My mother?" Drew asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow, then walked past her back in the direction of the city.

Violet giggled at him as she and White Fang followed him out of the woods, the Coordinator scratching the scalp of her Absol at the base of its horn.

Lillian Meridian, clad in her trademark purple jumpsuit, leapt to center stage.

"Hey there, everybody!" she beamed, waving to the onlookers. "Are you all ready?" The audience erupted into cheers and calls for their favorite Coordinators.

"I thought so! Then let's get this party started!"

Violet clapped and howled with the rest of the spectators. She sat between Ash and Brock on the third row from the stage, Pikachu sitting atop her head.

"Lillian - as hyper as always!" she chuckled.

"_Pika!" _Pikachu mewled in happy agreement.

"Just wait 'til you see May perform, Vi!" Ash told her.

"Yeah! She's gotten a lot better since the last time you saw her!" Max added. He was sitting on the other side of Ash.

"I bet she's good," Violet nodded. "But she's gonna have to be _incredible_ to beat Drew!" she muttered under her breath, a smile spread across her face.

"Alright. All the way from Petalburg City, Hoenn - let's give a warm welcome to May!" Lillian exclaimed as May bounced onto the stage, earning a series of cheers.

"Okay, Squirtle! Take the stage!" May shouted, tossing a shiny poke'ball into the air, which released the young, blue turtle Poke'mon.

"Withdraw, and spin!" May ordered. As Squirtle neared the ground, it shot back into it's shell and tilted, resulting in a cute, spinning dance as it hit the stage.

"Now use bubble!" the brunette Coordinator went on, smiling as her appeal began to take shape. Now seas of glossy bubbles erupted from the openings in Squirtle's shell, creating a twister of bubbles that decorated the entire stage.

"Finish with ice beam!" finished May. With that, Squirtle popped out of its shell and released a bright blue beam of ice. Swinging the ray around the stage, it froze the bubbles in mid-air, causing them to fall, and as they hit the ground, they exploded into beautiful blue sparkles that lit up the entire arena.

"Wow! Just beautiful! Judges?" Lillian smiled.

Violet watched as May's scores of 8, 10, and 10 appeared across the screen, the 8 being from Mr. Contesta, of course. Secretly, Violet had to agree when he said her ending could've used work. Just letting the bubbles fall and crash like that by hitting the ground wasn't that graceful, even if the resulting effect was.

"Way to go May!" Max and Ash cried, clapping loudly. Violet laughed at them before turning her neck around and glancing at the double doors leading out of the stadium.

"I'll be right back," she told Ash, standing up and scooting by Brock before jogging up the stairs and out the arena.

Sighing happily as the cool air hit her face, Violet shook her long hair in the afternoon wind. Suddenly, a white light burst from her hip, and cute yellow and red eyes belonging to Dark Thorn blinked up at her. She giggled.

"Hi there, Thorn. What's up?"

"_Rwarf!"_ the Poochyena barked, showing it's tiny fangs in a toothy grin.

Violet leaned against the railing that fenced the sidewalk leading up to the arena, inhaling the refreshing air.

"_Rrrhhmm?"_ Dark Thorn hummed, tilting its head up at her. She laughed at the cute expression.

"I'm fine! I'm just thinking, that's all," she explained. Dark Thorn blinked at her a couple times, as if urging her to tell it more. "Just think! We're finally out of Lavender Town! Free from Mom and Dad forever!" she reminisced, sighing with content. Her Poochyena barked gleefully, making her laugh once more.

All of a sudden, the sound of footsteps from behind made Violet jump and she jerked around.

"Whose there?" she demanded, and Dark Thorn growled viciously, stepping in front of its Coordinator.

"Next up, it's Jessalina!" announced Lillian as a ruby haired woman in a bright orange dress (which looked ridiculous on someone of her obvious age) bounced on stage.

"Let's go, Wobbuffett!" she cried, releasing a bright blue Wobbuffett from a poke'ball.

"Hey…Brock?" Ash said, eyeing the claret-haired woman strangely.

"Yeah?"

"Is it just me…or does she seem _really_ familiar?"

"Hmgh! Argh! Hmph! Lemme go, you..you…you big meanie!" Violet whined, struggling against the rope that bound her hands to her sides and had her dangling from the limb of a tree in the forest on the outskirts of Saffron.

"No can-do, peachez!" bit back the Meowth that sat Indian-style next to the lavender-haired man. Violet blinked in disbelief.

"I-it talks!" she gasped.

"Of courze I talk!" it growled, scrambling to its feet and sitting its claws on its hips.

Violet blew a chunk of purple hair in front of her eyes away, slumping in her confinements.

"Hey, this wasn't my idea, okay?" said the guy with lilac hair in a calm voice. He didn't _seem_ like a kidnapper to Violet, although she'd vouch that the Meowth was; its attitude was awful.

"What do you guys want with me?" Violet bleated, flashing a puppy-dog look the young man's way. Innocence was always the best policy. The 'kidnapper' blushed a bit, before quirking a weird half-smile.

"Hey, we'll let you go as soon as the contest is over. Promise!"

"_Bzzt! James! You - bzzt…stupid…bzzt … idiot!" _came the static engrossed voice from out of no where. Startled, the lavender-haired kidnapper pulled a walk-ee-talk-ee from his belt.

"Ohh," James groaned. "What did I do NOW?"

"_You … bzzt…got the wrong… bzzt … girl!" _came the shrill, feminine voice from the other end. Cringing, James jumped back from the device and held it out to arm's length.

"_The twerp-et has already…bzzt … performed!" _added the voice, who was apparently James' "partner in crime." Giving the gadget an annoyed, desperate look, James quickly flipped the switch and turned it off. Violet couldn't help but to giggle.

"You guys SUCK!" she burst out in laughter, despite being hung from a tree by ropes.

"Oh yeaz?" bit back the Meowth defensively. Violet nodded quickly in her fits of hilarity.

"If you're going to kidnap someone…you could at least do it RIGHT!"

"Hey Ash," thought Max outloud. "Violet's been gone a really long time."

"You think maybe we should go check on her?" seconded Brock.

"Hm. Yeah," Ash nodded in agreement. "Good idea."

Quickly leaving their seats and the Contest Arena, Ash and company stepped out into the afternoon air.

"Pikachu," said Ash. "Any sign of her?"

"_Pika!"_ squeaked the little yellow mouse, bounding to the ground from the boy's shoulder. _"Chu?" _Pikachu perked its ears up high above its head.

"What is it?" asked Ash. Then, a tiny Poochyena bounced from the bushes and squirmed through the railing, rushing onto the asphalt and standing in front of Pikachu.

"Dark Thorn!" Max exclaimed.

"_Rrawrf! Brawh-Brawh!"_ barked the Poochyena frantically. Pikachu's eyes lit up and it jumped back in shock.

"Drew! Drew! Violet's gone missing!" called out Max as they rushed into the Coordinator's lounge beneath the stage.

"What?" the green-haired boy gasped. He groaned loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"_Brawf!"_ yapped Dark Thorn at his feet.

"_Rrrossseee?" _his Roselia voiced, tilting its head to the side slightly as if to say "What do you want to do?" Drew sighed loudly and looked at the screen showing center stage, then at the doorway that Ash's group had entered through. He growled, then raced off in the direction of the exit.

"Stay here and explain everything!" he ordered before his mint green head disappeared out the room.

Violet dangled lazily, exhaling slowly out of pure boredom.

"Got any threez?" asked the Meowth from below as it held up pawfuls of playing cards.

"Go fish!" James grinned stupidly. Violet rolled her eyes in her head; he had two three's in his hand. The gullible Poke'mon slid a card off the stack.

"Can't you guys just let me go?" she begged. "Plleeeeeeaaasseee, Mr. James, sir!" James blushed a bit at being called 'sir,' then shook his head quickly.

"No, no! Can't do that! Jesse will have my hide!" he replied with a shudder.

"But I'm not even in the contest…" Violet murmured to herself, sighing loudly.

"Roselia, magical leaf!" came the familiar voice from the woods. A flurry of multi-colored leaves swept through the clearing, one slicing through the rope that bound Violet to the tree. With a wail, she fell through the air and landed roughly in someone's arms.

"Thanks, Dr-" she cut herself off when she looked up to see a cheeky James beaming down at her.

"Drop the girl, Rocket!" demanded a fiery, emerald-eyed Coordinator as he jumped out from behind a tree. "Poison sting!" Immediately, Roselia let lose a storm of sharp, white needles at James' feet, resulting in him doing a humorous dance in a failed attempt to dodge them. In his fit, he dropped the still wrapped-up Violet who landed with an "Oof!" a foot or two away. At once, a tiny mound of gray fur hurried over to Violet and started gnawing at her confinements with its sharp canines.

"Thorn!" she smiled with glee.

"Alright," Lillian began. "Next, let's have Drew on stage!" Ushering to stage right, she waited a moment for the Coordinator to appear, but when he didn't, she frowned. "Um…where's Drew?" she thought outloud. Discretely, Ash Ketchum stepped onstage.

"Uh….sorry…but Drew's…er…dropped out of the standings!" he stammered, blinking nervously at the large crowd of people.

"Oh…" Lillian sighed, almost frowning further. "Okay then. If that's the case, let's move on to the next round!"

"Cacnea!" James shouted, tossing a poke'ball. "Sandstorm!"

"_Cac-!"_ it shrieked as it was released, and started spinning around at rapid speeds, stirring up mounds of dirt from the ground. The grit rose up into the air, causing both Drew, Violet, and their Poke'mon to shield their eyes. When the dust dispersed, James and Meowth were no where to be seen.

Drew sighed loudly, returning Roselia to its poke'ball, then turning stiffly towards Violet, whom Dark Thorn had yet to free. Looking up at him, Violet flashed him a goofy, yet thankful grin. He rolled his eyes before kneeling down to help the little wolf Poke'mon untie its Coordinator.

"What were you doing out here? I missed the Contest thanks to you!" he hissed, working with the ropes that were tied tightly at her waist. She averted her gaze so she wouldn't meet his eyes, and frowned.

"Drew…I -"

"Just save it!" he bit back, cutting her off, and grunted in irritancy at the ropes. Dark Thorn shrunk back and whined at his tone of voice. Drew cast a look in its direction, blinked, then looked at Violet before sighing at full volume. Finally succeeding in untying the ropes, Drew let Violet shrug them off of herself, and then stood up, offering her a hand to her feet. With a relieved smile, Violet took it and was helped up, although Drew's face was as solemn as ever.

"We should head back to the Contest Hall," Violet told him.

"And why is that?" he asked carelessly, raising an eyebrow.

"I think James' partner is still there! They might try to ruin the contest!"

"Squirtle, get past its defense with headbash!" May ordered, and her little blue Poke'mon sped towards Wobbuffet with its head towards the ground. Upon contact, the blue blob went flying into the nearest wall, resulting in an automatic win.

"And that's it! May's our winner!" announced Lillian, ushering to the giant screen overhead with May's and Squirtle's images. Grinning happily, May and her turtle Poke'mon blew kisses to the crowd as they received cheers and praise.

"Enough of this!" grimaced Jessalina, ripping off her orange dress and revealing her white, two-piece ensemble beneath. "Now, James!" she ordered into a large walk-ee-talk-ee. Suddenly, the stage floor opened up and a giant hot-air balloon in the shape of a Meowth's head began rising towards the ajar roof of the Contest Hall. "Forget stealing the show!" the ruby-haired woman smirked. "We'll go back to stealing Poke'mon!" With that, the bottom of the balloon's basket unfastened, and a net propelled itself towards the ground, capturing Squirtle in its strings.

"Squirtle!" cried May as the crowd gasped.

"_Razor wind!" _came two joined voices from the back of the arena. Slicing through the air, two powerful gusts of wind shot through the area and carved two long gashes in the hot air balloon. Heads turned to the back of the amphitheater to see Drew and Violet, a Masquerain floating above the boy's head and a lean Absol poised for attack next to the girl.

"Razor wind, again!" Violet ordered; White Fang flipped its head, its horn glowing white, and shot another sliver of wind at the troublemakers' net. The slice created the room needed for Squirtle to escape, but sent him tumbling through the air.

"Masquerain, String shot!" instructed Drew. The moth released a stream of off-white silk, capturing the turtle Poke'mon and safely drifting it to the ground.

"Ready to send these goons flying, Drew?" Violet smirked. The green-haired Coordinator gave a curt nod before the two of them released the order.

"_Use Whirlwind!"_

The two Poke'mon let out outsized bursts of strong winds, which was more than enough to send the troublemaking team blasting off again. Violet couldn't help but to giggle loudly.

"Bbyyyeeeee, James!" she called, waving towards the sky. Drew covered his eyes, shaking his head.


	5. Chapter 5

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 5: Now _That's_ Flower Power!

Violet's eyes fluttered open lazily. She groaned and stretched as she kicked the pale green covers off of her body, and let out a loud yawn.

"Morning, May!" she grinned happily in the direction of the other bed, expecting to see her roommate for the past few days, but found only an empty bed. "May?" she said outloud, tilting her head in confusion, then remembered Ash telling her something yesterday after the contest about him, May, Brock, and Max leaving early for Cerulean City. _'They must've already left,"_ she thought sadly. "Oh well," she sighed, jumping out of bed and heading for the bathroom to take a shower.

After washing and slipping into her signature mint green and white top, black and white striped mini-skirt, and fingerless yellow gloves, Violet noticed a pamphlet sitting on the bedside table between the two hotel room-like beds. Picking it up, she examined it carefully. "Celadon City Flower Festival," she read outloud. Smiling at the front cover containing a picture of two grass Poke'mon, - a Vileplume and a Roselia - her eyes lit up as her purple pupils fell upon the rose-bearing Poke'mon.

"Drew! Drew! Look!" cried the mauve-haired Coordinator as she flew into Drew's room down the hall from hers. No sooner than Drew's eyes fluttered open, he was tackled by his hyperactive companion, and pressed harder into his mattress.

"What?" he barked, his heart beating out of his chest - partly because Violet had scared him silly, and partly because she wouldn't stop bouncing atop him.

"Look!" she exclaimed, shoving a pamphlet a millimeter away from his irises. The green-haired boy snatched the paper from her, and blinked a couple of times before glancing over the front page. "Can we go? Pllleeaasseee!" she begged. In his mind, Drew rolled his eyes; how many times has she used _that_ on him _already?_

"No! We're getting a head-start to Vermillion so we can catch the ship on time," he explained grouchily, pushing his torso up from his lying-down position in a sad attempt to give Vi the hint to _get off!_

"But the S.S. Anne doesn't depart for a week!" she whined, stretching her lower lip further down in a pout.

"Five days," Drew corrected. "Not a week."

"Whatever!" Violet groaned, rolling her eyes. "We'll still have PLENTY of time! C'mon Drew! They'll be flowers! Lots and lots o' flowers!" With that she bounced up and down a couple of times out of pure hyper-ness, causing Drew to spring up with her. "You like flowers, don't you, Drew-bee?" she giggled.

"Don't call me that! Get off!" he yelled, giving her a moderate shove, trying to push her away, but Violet was resilient.

"Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!" With every plead, she'd spring up and then come back down on Drew, being particularly evil by slamming her hands onto his chest a few times.

"Violet - oof! - stop! - ow! - Knock it - agh! - off!" the boy grunted between bounces. "FINE! Ow! OFF! Oof!"

Violet landed one last time before grinning down at him, stopping to rest with her knees straddling his waist.

"So we can go?" she asked, bright eyed. Drew moaned loudly.

"Will you get off me?" he questioned with venom in his voice. She nodded rapidly. "Then…." Drew rolled his neck against his shoulders, expressing that he really didn't want to do this. "….alright. We'll go! Now get off me!" he growled. Vi beamed before rolling off him, sitting beside him in the bed, pulling the covers that had survived her attack off of Drew completely. He glared at her evilly before shifting a stare to the ceiling, folding his arms in front of his bare chest. Then, he felt a pair of dazzling purple eyes gazing at him. Turning to look at her, he snarled, "What?" She giggled and pointed at his choice of sleep-wear: namely, his boxers. The neon green shorts spotted with hot pink rose petals stood out vividly against the pale blue sheets of the bed.

Drew's face tinted a slight shade of pink before hitting her softly, and swinging himself off of the bed. Grabbing a changing of clothes, he stomped into the bathroom..

After his shower, Drew walked back into the main part of his bedroom to see Violet lying on his still dismantled bed watching the television. She shot him a grin, then looked back at the screen. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you go back to your room?" he asked. She shrugged before pressing a button on the T.V. with her shoe, making the screen go black.

"I'm hungry," she stated, jumping off the bed and walking by Drew; taking his hand as she passed, she began dragging him with her before he quickly ripped his hand from her grasp, but continued to follow her downstairs.

"Hey, Nurse Joy!" Violet waved as they reached the bottom floor. The rose-haired nurse nodded back in return, smiling sweetly. "Do you know if the monorail to Celadon is running today?" Vi asked.

"Oh! Most certainly, with the Flower Festival going on and all," Joy replied.

"Thanks!" the Coordinator smiled, turning and prancing towards the Poke'mon Center's food court.

"So…what'cha hungry for Drew?" Violet asked happily, sounding the way any friendly person does when trying to start a conversation; she gingerly handed him a plate as he got behind her in line at the bar.

"Fix your plate and I'll fix mine," he said impassively.

Drew restrained from hiding his eyes as Violet sat down across from him at the tiny table in the Center's dining room. She had piled her plate with anything that's delicious smell had invaded her nostrils, which resulted in a large plate for such a small girl.

In reality, Drew's thought on Vi's _amount_ of food could have been exaggerated, but his view of the way she devoured it wasn't. He glared at her as she bit savagely into a Pecha berry, the juices soaking her cheeks and rolling down her chin.

"_Don't normal people slice those?"_ Drew thought to himself, suggestively handing her a large napkin. She giggled cheekily and wiped her mouth, eating slightly more dainty than before. Drew smirked, and ate half of a bacon strip in one bite.

Swallowing another large bite of Pecha, Violet looked at him.

"How much money do we have? Enough to ride the monorail?" she asked, then took a humongous bite out of a muffin.

"Don't worry. I'll manage the money. We've got plenty," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yay!" Vi squealed. "Then I wanna go shopping!" She smothered some butter atop her half-eaten muffin and bit it again, nodding to herself happily about the new taste.

The green-haired Coordinator groaned under his breath, shoving a forkful of eggs into his mouth so he wouldn't be inclined to answer.

Violet tapped her foot impatiently behind Drew as they waited in line at the monorail station.

"Why are people so slow?" she asked sincerely into Drew's ear, leaning on his shoulder. Drew sighed.

"_She's like a child,"_ he thought.

"Why do you ask so many questions?" he shot back, not looking at her. If he had turned his head towards her they probably would've bumped noggins. She slouched against him, putting more of her weight on him. "Stand up yourself. I can't hold both of us up!" he grumbled. She stood back up to full height, pouting at the back of his grassy-green head.

Finally, when the two made it to the monorail, Drew paid the attendant the required amount of Poke'dollars and he and Violet boarded. Of course, Drew had been happier outside in the line. Inside, the monorail was crowded with people. The seats had long since been taken and the remaining passengers (including him and Violet) were forced to stand and hold onto one of the poles that were bolted to the floor and ceiling. He couldn't take a step without having his foot land on someone else's. This was basically torture for Vi, considering she was a prime candidate for A.D.H.D.

"Ddddrrrrreeeewwwww….!" she bleated his name, standing behind him with her hands on his shoulders, bouncing on her heels ever so slightly. It was all Drew could do to ignore the looks he was receiving from strangers on the train.

"What?" he hissed quietly.

"It's crowded in here. How long will it take to get to Celadon?" she questioned.

"Just a few minutes," he answered. "Now keep still, and keep quite," he ordered. Violet slumped forward, with her front to his back, and let her hands hang loose over his shoulders, but she did stop all her useless fidgeting. Drew then had to decide which he hated more: her sprawled on him, or her constant blabbering? His ears seemed to sigh at the lack of sound other than the hum of the monorail and he opted on the latter.

Violet bounded out of the monorail station, spinning in circles as she looked at all the banners, streamers, and balloons of giant grass Poke'mon. Drew quietly followed her outside, calmly walking with his hands fisted inside his pockets.

"Ah! Everything's so pretty!" Vi crooned, eyes sparkling. "Look!" she exclaimed, dashing off to the right. Drew raised an eyebrow and slowly followed her. She led him to a oversized poster showing grass Poke'mon battling it out and beneath it on a stand was a sign-up sheet.

"The Flower Power Battling Tournament! Drew! That looks like fun! Let's do it!" she grinned, pointing to the picture.

"Keep reading," Drew smirked. Violet looked confused, but did as she was told; Drew watched as her smile faltered for a moment.

"Grass Poke'mon entries only," she read outloud. She wilted for a moment, then perked up again. "Well…that's okay! You and Roselia can enter!"

"Violet, I don't wanna-" but his comment was left unheard as Violet pivoted around and quickly signed his name on the sheet.

"Look, Drew! A parade!" squealed the girl with purple hair, jumping and pointing excitedly at a line-up of fauna-decorated floats. "C'mon!" Grabbing Drew by the wrist, she bolted towards the spectacle, and dragging him with her, she shoved her way to the front of the crowd. "Aren't they beautiful, Drew?" she said in awe.

"Sure," he said blankly, retrieving his hand from her yet again.

As a moving stage of dancing Bellossom drove past, a band of riders sitting atop elegantly decorated Tropius trudged toward them. The riders sat upon golden saddles and the Tropius wore bright scarlet neck garments that shimmered in the sunlight, looking much like tinsel. Then, Violet noticed a large glass bottle lying in the middle of the street. She blinked quickly before racing out onto the road.

"Violet! Are you crazy?" Drew shouted back from the sidelines.

Reaching the object, the girl knelt down and picked it up, but by then she was able to look up and see a tall Tropius hovering over her. Just as a great, round foot was about to trample her, a strong shove pushed her across the avenue. She hit the asphalt hard a couple feet away, and felt someone land over her body, covering hers tightly with theirs. Opening and closing her eyes many times, she finally registered Drew as the one clutching her. It was only a few seconds before he loosened his grip, raised himself to his knees, and looked down at her.

"What were you thinking?" he growled down at her.

"I didn't want a Tropius hurting their foot on the bottle," she explained, showing him the glass container in her hand.

"Better a Tropius' foot than your head!" he recoiled, pushing himself to his feet, then pulling her up as well. Giving her a cold look, he quickly disposed of the bottle.

"Uh…thanks, Drew," Violet said quirkily, taking a step closer to him.

He grunted in response, and looked away, making Violet frown just a bit. Suddenly, a shower of pink blossoms rained down from the top of towering, flower-covered castle-like float, and the slight wind spread them out over the onlookers. A single flower decided to drift down slowly and settle itself in Violet's hair, and Drew looked at her, one corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

Drew knew he was setting himself up for an annoying afternoon when he handed his companion the tipping mound of pink fluff. Violet happily took it from him and bit off a big mound of the cotton candy, stuffing in into her mouth with her lips.

"Don't you want one?" she asked after she swallowed her first bite. Drew shook his head, and pinched himself off a portion of her treat, popping it into his mouth. Giggling, Violet skipped off in one direction and let Drew follow.

The two wandered into a garden just past where the larger portion of the carnival was taking place. They walked beneath an archway of hedge into the sweet-smelling patch copious with beautiful flowers. Smiling slightly, Drew neared a rose bush and knelt beside it, fingering a red bloom. Violet beamed at him, then wandered to a different bush, and picked a white carnation, putting it behind her left ear. Leisurely walking up to the fountain in the center of the garden, Violet dipped the tips of her fingers into the cool water, swirling them around, and acting fascinated by the patterns of ripples she could make. That's when Drew came up to the spout of cascading water as well, from the other side, and reached to pluck another bite from Violet's cotton candy. Suddenly, the chime of a bell sounded throughout the city.

Violet smoothed out the wrinkles in the paper as she stuck it to Drew's gray sweater. Sure that his number sign would stick, Drew pushed her away and put his lavender jacket back on.

"Good luck, Drew! I'll be right back, okay?" with that Violet rushed off. Drew quirked an eyebrow as she dashed away. It wasn't like Violet to run off before any sort of Poke'mon-centered event.

"_Whatever,"_ Drew shrugged. _"Less distractions."_ Taking a deep breath, he stood up from the bench and stepped into the chalk-drawn box on his side of the outside arena. "Roselia!" he called, tossing a poke'ball high into the air.

Drew smirked happily as the Bulbasaur toppled over with the bulb on its back looking strangely droopy, the green-haired Coordinator's Roselia doing what it thought was a sultry pose. Drew's eyes quickly scanned the crowd for any signs of a mauve-colored head, but didn't see any. He rested a hand at his waist, eyebrows furrowing. He was almost ticked at Violet for not being there to see him win. There was also something else….hurt, maybe? Nah.

"Drew!"

That overexcited voice could be picked out over the buzz of any other. Drew pivoted around to see Violet running through the crowd of people towards him. Managing to reach him, she doubled over, putting her hands on her knees and gasped for breath.

"Where were you?" he asked in a monotone, crossing his arms.

"No where, really," she said, looking at him with one eye closed; she put her hands behind her back, rising and lowering herself on her toes. Drew rolled his eyes. "So," she began, changing the subject. "Did you dominate?" Drew smirked.

"Of course!" he replied, flipping a lock of lime hair cockily.

She danced into the opposing box on the opposite side of the arena, forest-colored eyes blinking brilliantly behind a cherry fan. Her gold and ruby kimono swayed with her as she picked a poke'ball from her waist, her short, ebony hair shining as the sunlight hit it just right.

"Wwwoooooowwww! She's sssoooooo pretty!" Violet sighed, eyes sparkling adoringly.

"My name's Erika," Drew's opponent said softly. Drew sneered smugly.

"So," he said. "So few people want to face me that the _Gym Leader_ has to step in?" He could see her smirk back at him from behind her fan; he could tell it was a smirk by the way her eyes sharpened.

Snapping her fan shut, she tossed it, and it sliced through the air, whizzing past Drew's ear and almost impaling Violet between the eyes, had she not ducked. Erika held her minimized poke'ball between two fingers.

"Are all you men the same? Self-centered and narcissistic?" she asked, strawberry lips curled upward.

"Oh, of course not," Drew assured her, throwing his own poke'ball, and releasing his little, rose-dawning warrior. "I'm just especially stuck up, that's all."

"I see," Erika replied, enlarging and chucking her poke'ball as well. From the white light, appeared a round, blue sphere surrounded by white balls of fluff. "I choose my Jumpluff!"

"Battle - commence!" shouted the battle judge.

"Jumpluff, use bounce!" ordered Erika, her Poke'mon bounding forward, landing, then flying up into the air. Coming down from the sky, the little blue ball aimed for Roselia.

"Poison sting!" Drew commanded. Roselia raised its roses, firing a series of sharp needles in the air at Jumpluff. Erika cut in.

"Cotton spore!" Shooting its limbs out, the wind caught the Poke'mon's umbrella-like extensions and stopped it's fall, and that's when it released a cloud of white softness, weakening the shot needles and making them fall out of the sky uselessly.

"Roselia, use magical leaf!" Drew directed, and Roselia let loose in a spin, sending a storm of leaves zooming through the air at Jumpluff. One knocked against it, sending it off course and forcing it to land, although doing no real damage.

"Solarbeam!" Erika instructed. Jumpluff pulled its limbs together and began glowing a slight green.

"You too, Roselia!" Drew said quickly, and Roselia rapidly began gathering sunlight. Jumpluff fired first, but Roselia was close behind and the two beams of light met head-on, and forcing the two Poke'mon into a pushing war.

"Roselia, more power!" Drew bade his Poke'mon; the encouragement worked as Roselia glowed a bright gold, and shot another overwhelming sunbeam from its roses, overpowering Jumpluff. This sent it hurtling backwards. "Now, poison jab!" Drew commanded. The flower Poke'mon dashed forward, striking Jumpluff with a thorny rose, who wailed outloud.

"Bullet seed!" Erika shouted, and Jumpluff quickly let loose a rapid fire of seeds from its mouth. The sudden attack took Roselia by surprise, and propelled it in reverse. Roselia grimaced, scowling at the Jumpluff.

"Roselia! Spin and use petal dance!" Drew ordered. Without a second's thought, it went into a spinning frenzy, and released thousands of pink petals into the air. "More petals!" Drew directed, and Roselia went into overdrive, creating a storm of petals that was so thick it was nearly impossible to see through. He could hear Erika scowling in frustration across the arena, and flashed a small smile over his shoulder at Violet. He would never have admitted it outloud, but Shadow's night shade technique had been the inspiration for creating a storm of flower petals. Now was the perfect opportunity, Jumpluff couldn't see an inch in front of its face! "Poison sting, now!" he directed, and Roselia immediately stopped spinning and aimed its roses through the flowers. Shooting a spill of pointy bullets, the cry of a Jumpluff met Drew's ears. When the flower petals cleared, Jumpluff dizzily collapsed, and covered its ashamed face with its cotton-covered limbs.

Drew took a bite out of his Leppa berry, looking down at the multi-colored pin in his hand.

"Wow! You got a Rainbow Badge!" Violet grinned at him.

"Eh," Drew shrugged, stuffing it into his pocket. "I'm a Coordinator, not a Trainer. Personally, I like the Tournament prize a lot better." Violet giggled at her friend who had just become 1000 Poke'dollars richer. In all honesty, she couldn't blame him.

"Hey! We're gonna stay for the fireworks, right?" Violet asked him.

"No can do. We're heading back to Saffron. We need a good night's rest because we leave first thing in the morning for Vermillion," he explained. Violet drooped in despair. "You can watch the fireworks from your room," he told her. The girl sighed. Well, at least she would be able to see them. Lucky for her that the two cities were so close together.

Violet finished tying her hair up into a ponytail as the first burst of light lit up the sky for miles. She peered out of the window of her and Drew's bedroom back at the Poke'mon Center in Saffron City. New travelers had shown up and Violet generously gave the room she had been sharing with May to them. She didn't mind sharing a room with Drew, even though it only had one bed. They'd figure something out.

Another series of bright lights exploded against the black sky, reflecting in Violet's dark eyes. That's when Drew came and sat on the window sill beside her, also starring at the display suspended over the neighboring city.

"Thanks for taking me to the Flower Festival today, Drew!" she beamed at him. "I had a blast. And so did you! Admit it!" Drew rolled his emerald eyes, but almost cracked a smile.

"Yeah yeah," he said, leaning his jacket-less elbow against the wall. Violet thought it was so weird looking at him without his thin, purple coat on, but she also never expected him to take her to a carnival. Violet leaned closer to him, so they were shoulder to shoulder.

"Um," she said delicately. "Vermillion next, right?"

"Yeah," he told her for what must've been the eighth time that evening. The pair of them continued to watch the fireworks that even Drew admitted would've been prettier had they been beneath them.

"You were great today. Ya know - battling and all," she complimented with a smile.

"I know," he replied in a cocky tone, causing a giggle from the mauve-haired Coordinator, and even a chuckle from himself. Out of all the people he could've spent the day at a festival with, he would've never even guessed it would've been someone like Violet. Even more surprising, he would've never presumed he'd have a good time. Well…as close to a good time as someone with his attitude could have, anyway.

"So…" Violet hummed. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Who gets the bed?"


	6. Chapter 6

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 6: Berry Madness

Violet shifted comfortably, still in the limbo between consciousness and sleep. Nudging herself forward slightly, she felt a source of warmth and happily scrunched up to it. Only moments later, her supply of heat vanished and her eyes flicked open. She blinked a couple times to stabilize her vision and then watched as Drew rose from the bed. She whined loudly and gave a pout in his general direction.

"Why'd you move?" she whimpered, clutching the covers tightly and pulling them closer to her body. "You're warm," she giggled to herself.

Her green-haired companion glanced sleepily around the room for his shirt, finding it thrown down next to his bag. Being forced to share a room, the two had also been forced to share a bed. What? Violet wasn't going to sleep on the floor, and she knew he wouldn't! At first, Drew had seemed uneasy about the whole arrangement, and Vi didn't comprehend why. She didn't complain though. He was fun to cuddle up to in the middle of the night, once she got past the whole '"Stay on your side!" and-pushing-her-away' deal.

"I'm not your teddy bear," he pointed out bluntly, putting his gray sweater over his head; he had slept in his jeans. "And besides, we need to get up and get moving."

"Nuh-uh!" Violet bleated, snatching the pillow from Drew's side of the bed, and pressing it over her head as she buried her face in her own. She could hear Drew groan loudly.

"Let's go, Violet. I'm not in the mood," he sighed. She mumbled something incoherent beneath the pillow and squirmed under the covers. Drew rolled his eyes and grabbed two fistfuls of blanket at the end of the bed. Then, almost smirking, he mercilessly yanked the bedspread off of the mauve-haired girl. He watched as her body shriveled up into a ball at the sudden chill. "Get. Up!" he ordered, only to watch as Violet shook her head from the confines of her "pillow-sanctuary." Drew's temple pulsed in agitation. Okay, no more mister nice guy! Wrapping his hands around her ankles, she squealed as he tugged hard and she slid down to the end of the bed. Then, leaning over her so the two were eye to eye, he growled, "Up. Now!" She looked up at him, her muddled hair sticking out in all directions.

"Do I have too?" she droned, rubbing her eyes groggily. Drew couldn't help it when the corners of his mouth twitched upward in amusement. He grinned at her.

"Don't you want breakfast?"

Violet crammed three or four pieces of checker-board pastry and syrup into her mouth, adding to the sticky-ness that coated her lips. Drew consciously licked his own - no sticky-ness. That's when a very happy (and sticky) Violet tried to start a conversation.

"Mhm! Hmmhm -"

"Swallow," Drew told her with a raised eyebrow, bringing another bite of waffle to his lips. The mauve-haired girl gulped loudly.

"So, how far to Vermillion?" she asked.

"A day or so. Now hurry up," he told her, finishing off his last bite of breakfast.

The two Coordinators left the south gate of Saffron City around nine o' clock that morning, but despite the early time of day, the hot Kanto sun was already high in the sky. Walking a few paces behind her companion, Violet was already beginning to grow restless.

"So, Drew….," she began in a desperate attempt to start a conversation. "Have you ever been to Vermillion City before?" she asked.

"Yeah, once," he replied, walking calmly with his hands shoved in his pockets, continuing to look at the path ahead of them and not back at her. "When I first came to Kanto; I arrived on the S.S. Anne last Contest Season to participate in the Kanto Grand Festival. I haven't been back since."

"You participated in the Kanto Grand Festival?" she questioned, bright eyed. "How'd you place?" Violet would've watched it of course, but her parents banned all that stuff. How fitting that they ran a gravesite for Poke'mon, huh? Drew cast her a strange look over his shoulder, silently wondering himself how she hadn't heard the last Grand Festival results in her own region.

"Top eight," he replied, re-shifting his gaze straight ahead.

"Wow, really? Top Eight? Out of, like, almost a hundred people? That's awesome!" she exclaimed, bounding forward to walk by his side. "What other Grand Festivals were you in?"

"Participated in the one in Hoenn a couple years ago - came in second there," he responded and Violet's eyes sparkled with amazement.

"Second? Drew! I didn't know you were THAT good!" she beamed.

"There is no 'second'," Drew retorted. "Only 'first'." He continued walking, but Violet stopped in her tracks and frowned at him.

"Why not?" she inquired. Drew halted and turned on his heel to look at her.

"You win…or you don't. It's that simple," he answered. He watched his companion for a moment, who seemed to sadden at his sudden disposition, then spoke up once more. "Let's keep moving." With that, he started moving down the road again. Violet quickly hurried after him, making it to his side again in no time.

"Maybe you'll win the National Grand Festival! Then you'll be the best EVERYWHERE!" she grinned at him with hopeful eyes. He flashed her a confused look, considering she'd be participating too, but shrugged and sustained his pace.

Now just past noon, Violet's Poochyena walked along with them down the road. Drew had to constantly watch where he put his foot down though, because Dark Thorn loved to scamper back and forth across where they were walking, and the Coordinator feared he'd step on the excited, hyperactive Poke'mon.

"_Much like its Coordinator," _Drew thought to himself. Suddenly, the Poochyena's ears perked towards the sky and its paws stopped.

"What is it, Thorn?" Violet asked.

Dark Thorn began to sniff the air. It sampled the wind's scent for a moment, then its tongue lolled out of its mouth, and it rushed off into the bushes beside the path.

"Wait, Thorn! Where are you going?" Violet called after the Poochyena, racing after it. Drew blinked.

"Violet!" he shouted her name, following her into the brush. He quickly caught up with her, but Violet had lost sight of her Poke'mon.

"Dark Thorn! Where are you?" she cried as Drew held a low-hanging branch out of their way.

"It's official - that mutt needs a leash!" Drew grumbled, only to have the branch snap back in his face. "Ow!"

Violet glanced at him and erupted into a fit of giggles at the sight Drew's hair being meddled with leaves and twigs and his face a bit red from the impact. Then, Violet noticed something about the trees as they progressed into the forest. The farther they went, the more large, oddly-shaped, fruits she saw on the trees.

"Drew,….are those…berries?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah," Drew said bluntly, although his eyes showed that he too had been surprised at the location and the amount of berries. "They're probably what Dark Thorn smelt," he added, and hurriedly went deeper into the forest of fruit.

The two peeked into a clearing, seeing a patch of gray fur about to devour a cluster of purple Bluk berries.

"Return!" Violet shouted, holding up Dark Thorn's poke'ball and replacing the Poochyena in her control. She heaved a loud sigh. If it had ate those Bluk berries, it would've taken Violet days to get the stains out of its coat. That's when she looked up. "Wow…."

Above her head, the treetops were more berries than leaves. Berries of every kind dotted the canopy; it seemed to have twice the color that the Flower Festival had had!

"Hm," Drew hummed, resting a hand on his hip as he starred up at the roof of berries and leaves. "And here everyone thought berries didn't grow wild in Kanto!" He smirked as he reached up and picked a bright, scarlet Pomeg berry from a short bough of a nearby tree. "Well, better start picking!"

"Huh..?" Violet blinked, confused.

"We can use these to make Poke'blocks!" he explained, then blinked. "On second thought … let ME do the picking! We can only carry so many and you haven't a clue about which are the best berries to use."

Violet shot him a pitiful look, one which he didn't even see because he had already turned and began looking up at the closest tree, planning out which berries he was going to pick.

"I wanna help though!" she wailed, crossing her arms. Drew turned towards her, a round, salmon-colored Magost berry in his hand. He thought a moment, juggling the soft sphere in his hand, before placing it in his backpack, and looking at her.

"Okay, you can help," he said, looking back up in the tree. With that, he reached up, got a good grip on the lowest branch with both hands, and pulled himself up atop the branch.

"WHAT are you doing?" Violet asked with a giggle; she never would've thought Drew would be the type of guy to climb a tree! He laboriously clambered to the next-highest branch.

"I'll get the berries up here, and drop them down to you. You just have to catch them," he told her, selecting a large, spiky, yellow berry and letting it plummet to the ground. Violet just barely managed to catch it, and knew the palms of her hands were grateful for her fingerless gloves. She looked up at her traveling partner, and he smirked back down at her before climbing higher into the tree.

Drew leapt to the ground, skipping the last branch of the tree, and landed hard on his feet.

"Do we have enough?" Violet asked. Drew nodded, running a hand through his hair. Great! Now he was hot and sweaty from climbing up and down that stupid tree! "Let's eat one!" Violet cried happily, picking up a bright red Tamato berry from the pile of berries Drew had picked.

"Not that one!" Drew ordered quickly, snatching it from her just before it touched her lips.

"Hm? Why not?" Violet asked curiously with a bit of a pout.

"Oh, feel free to go ahead, if you want lips like a Jynx that is!" Drew bit back in a matter-of-fact tone, replacing the berry in their pile. Violet gave him a clueless, but grateful look. "Plus their extremely spicy. Here, try this one," he said, handing her a small, round orange and red checkered berry. "A Custap." Violet attempted to take a bite out of the berry, only to have her teeth crash onto its hard skin; she winced.

"The skin's too rough!" she complained. Drew rolled his eyes.

"Here," he sighed, taking it from her. Angling his jaw, and placing part of the berry carefully, he bit down hard, and Violet heard a noise similar to that of a cracking peanut. He then peeled away the skin where he had bit and handed it back to her. "Happy?" he asked. Violet took a big bite out of the soft-looking flesh beneath the berries rough exterior. Her mouth was flooded with a wonderfully sweet, creamy taste, and she nodded gleefully. Drew smirked, and picked up an Oran berry for himself.

The pair sat there for a few minutes, savoring their snacks, when Violet perked up, similar to the way her Poochyena had done earlier.

"Drew…do you hear something?" she asked. Drew paused for a moment.

"No," he replied carelessly.

"I do! It sounds like - OW!" Violet was cut off by a blur of brown smacking her in the back of head, then dashing back off into the forest. "What was that?"

"I think it was a - Ugh!" Drew also stopped mid-sentence when he was struck from behind, and then saw another brunette haze rush away.

"What's going on?" Violet cried, bolting to her feet fearfully. Drew was quick to follow.

"I'm not sure, but let's get out of here!" Drew suggested. "Toss the berries in your bag and let's go!" The two of them shoved their harvest of berries into their knapsacks, then quickly slung them over their shoulders, and took off towards the clearing's closest exit.

That's when a single Zigzagoon tore in front of them, looking up at them with fiery eyes and a tiny growling sound coming from its throat. The two Coordinators skidded to a stop.

"Aw, c'mon! It's just ONE Zigzagoon!" Violet exclaimed. Just then, about five hundred other tiny raccoon Poke'mon appeared behind the first, creating a sea of brown and tan fur.

"You HAD to say something, didn't you? This way!" Drew growled, grabbing Violet by the wrist and running in the opposite direction. Upon reaching the other side of the clearing, another flood of Zigzagoon popped up, blocking their path. Violet and Drew both flashed looks in any other possible directions towards escape, but they were surrounded by an army of the Poke'mon. "Ugh!" Drew groaned. "WHAT are we doing?" He reached for a poke'ball at his belt, and raised his hand to throw it, only to have it knocked away by a bounding Zigzagoon.

"Drew!" Violet wailed, backing close to him. Drew still hadn't released her wrist, but he now felt her hand clutch his tightly. "I think these guys own this part of the woods!"

"You think?" Drew retorted, also standing closer to his companion.

"B-but," Violet stuttered. "I thought Poke'mon weren't evil!"

"No," Drew replied, glaring at the Zigzagoon. "But they can be pretty territorial." That's when a wave of the little brown Poke'mon lunged at them.

"Violet! Violet!" The mauve-haired Coordinator awoke to her name being called directly into her ear and a familiar touch of someone's shoulder nudging hers.

"Ughmhmm…," she moaned woozily, blinking her eyes open, only to see that she was tied back-to-back with Drew and still surrounded by the army of Zigzagoon. Wait…this wasn't rope! It felt like….silk? And Zigzagoon can't tie anything! Then Violet noticed the cheerful Caterpie sitting atop Drew's head. He angrily shook it off, then glared at it as if to say, "Traitor!" It slunk away without remorse. Violet could see Drew's temple pulse with anger.

"I can't believe it…we were captured by Poke'mon!" he grumbled, slouching forward in their confinements as the Zigzagoon continued to dance around them.

"What do you think they want?" she thought outloud.

"If I knew, I'd have given it to them ages ago," Drew said.

"_Zig!" _one Zigzagoon barked, capturing their attention. Then, the ocean of raccoon Poke'mon parted as a lean Linoone marched through them and sat before Violet and Drew on its hindquarters, looking completely miffed.

"_Loon! Li - loon!"_ it hissed, pointing a claw at its captives.

"Uh…what is it saying?" Violet asked, cocking an eyebrow at the Poke'mon.

"Do I look like a Linoone to you?" Drew bit back.

"I think…that these guys think they OWN the berries, and that we're stealing them!" Violet said slowly.

"Well…we are," Drew said bluntly.

"Can you reach the poke'ball closest to you at my waist? It's got Onyx Ice in it!" Violet exclaimed. Drew twisted his hand around, towards his companion, and felt for the ball. Violet giggled as his fingers brushed against her. "That tickles!"

"Hold still!" he rumbled. Then, finding the sphere, he pressed the button in the center and the flash of white light signaled the arrival of Onyx Ice, who flexed its large claws. Before any Zigzagoon or the Linoone could react, the Sneasel sliced through the Coordinators' confinements, and both were on their feet. The Linoone leapt forward.

"Onyx, slash!" Violet ordered, and the Sneasel's first claw blocked the Linoone's tackle, and then the second lashed out at the rushing Poke'mon, sending it hurtling backwards. "Blizzard!" cried Vi, and Onyx Ice inhaled, then blew out a freezing cold storm of snow and ice.

Meanwhile, Drew's eyes scanned the clearing. Then, he triumphantly snatched up a recognizable poke'ball.

"Flygon!" he shouted, releasing the dragon from the sphere. "Dragonbreath!" Taking a great breath, Flygon exhaled a stream of bright green energy and brushed the beam through the field of Normal Poke'mon. As long as their Poke'mon were out, this whole colony didn't stand a chance! Although, Drew preferred to get going as soon as possible. Finding their bags, he slung them on his shoulder and whistled to Flygon. It obediently landed near him and Drew mounted his Poke'mon before it flew up again. "Violet!" he yelled. The mauve-haired girl looked up, standing behind Onyx Ice who was holding off five Zigzagoon at once. Vi quickly returned the Sneasel to its poke'ball as Flygon zoomed by. Jumping up, she managed to snag Drew's hand as it reached down for her and then, as they soared over the treetops, he heaved her atop Flygon with him.

"Thanks!" she grinned, setting herself behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He smirked at her over his shoulder.

"Now," he said. "Let's put some distance between us and those Zigzagoon!"

They flew slowly south, abandoning the road entirely. Through the air, their traveling time was significantly minimized. Normally, Drew didn't like traveling on Flygon for the Poke'mon's own health, but the dragon insisted so Drew didn't argue and neither did Violet for that matter. An exhausted, purple-haired girl's head was resting against Drew's right shoulder, eyes shut. Drew didn't mind, considering it was the only time she was quite. By sunset, they landed.

"Violet," Drew whispered. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she lifted her head from his shoulder, only to see the building tops nearing them and a sapphire sea off in the distance.


	7. Chapter 7

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 7: _Sibling Rivalry_

Drew ignored the looks he received from the late afternoon strollers as he made his way down the street towards Vermillion's Poke'mon Center; although, he understood their reactions. It was sort of strange to see a young man riding down a city street atop a Flygon with a girl half asleep on his shoulder .

"Are we almost there?" Violet asked softly, her cheek practically buried in his purple jacket.

"Soon enough," he replied, shifting with Flygon every time its front legs moved forward - its species was obviously a flyer, not a walker. The dragon kneeled down in front of the red-roofed building and Drew climbed down first, Violet slumping forward limply.

"Come on," he sighed, slightly amused, and took her hand to help her down; she almost stumbled jumping down from the Poke'mon, and Drew rolled his eyes as he returned Flygon to its poke'ball. Dragging her feet, she followed him into the Poke'mon Center.

Drew stretched his arms and folded them behind his head as he stepped out of the Poke'mon Center and out into the warm sunshine.

"_Nya!"_ came the cry as a blur of lavender dashed by at his feet. Drew jumped back as the lavender Poke'mon scampered across the path and into the bushes on the other side.

"Was that…an Espeon?" he asked outloud, just as a rustle sounded from where the sun Poke'mon had appeared.

"_Umbre'!"_ growled an Umbreon as it leapt out of the bushes. With its fur bristling, an orb of darkness formed at its mouth and was fired in the direction of the Espeon as it arched its back; then the dark Poke'mon dashed off in pursuit. Drew blinked.

"..Okkaayyyy…"

"What's up, Drew?" grinned Violet, stepping out of the sliding doors behind him, chewing and swallowing her last bite of breakfast.

"Just a couple of crazy Poke'mon," Drew replied, shoving his hands in his pockets and preceding down the road. Violet bounded after him.

"So, where are we going?" she asked as she came to walk beside him and swung her arms at her sides.

"The Poke'mon Fan Club," he answered with a shrug. Violet stopped in her tracks and blinked at the back of his head.

"….Why?"

Drew shrugged again without stopping to look back at her.

The two neared the entrance to the Poke'mon Fan Club, just down the street from the Poke'mon Center, when a ray of dark light shot across the pathway.

"EEKK!" Violet screeched, falling back on her behind in a sad attempt to dodge the attack. That's when a racing Espeon swiveled itself around the beam and turned, shooting out a shower of bright yellow stars in the opposing direction. A loud _"'Umbre!"_ was heard as a small, black and yellow Poke'mon was thrown into the air, but then landed skillfully on its feet. The two hissed before launching themselves at each other, resulting in a quarrelling mass of Poke'mon tumbling across the road.

"I've had just about enough of this!" Drew sighed, pulling a poke'ball from his waist.

"No!" cried someone.

"We've got bets placed over here!" shouted another.

Upon looking up, Drew and Violet noticed two large groups of people shouting loudly for either the dark or psychic Poke'mon. Drew lowered his poke'ball and looked at them all in confusion, but it was Violet who spoke first.

"What's going on?" she asked, turning her head.

"Can it! We're busy!" yelled an onlooker; he was answered by a few agreeing mumbles among the crowd of cheering "Poke'mon Fans." That's when the Espeon wrestled the Umbreon to the ground and pinned it there, a steady paw pressed against the dark Poke'mon's throat. It seemed to look down at it with a triumphant smirk. Meanwhile, the group cheering for the Espeon howled at full volume and stuck gloating fingers at Umbreon's fans, who hung their heads. With the thrill of the fight over, the two groups began crowding back into the Poke'mon Fan Club building. Sending each other wary glances, Drew and Violet hesitantly followed and listened to conversations and arguments over the previous battle that lingered as the onlookers crowded back into the building.

"Pay up!" grunted a boy in a corner with an Espeon headband around his forehead, a smaller boy with an Umbreon t-shirt fisting a handful of Poke'dollars into the older boy's hand.

In an opposing corner, two little girls brushed the fur of stuffed Espeon dolls as their mothers giggled among themselves.

"It's a convention for Espeon and Umbreon!" Violet exclaimed in awe.

"Wrong," Drew corrected, folding his arms. "Just some wacko fans." Suddenly, the door was flung open behind them.

"Hmph! I do swear! Those filthy wild Poke'mon!" whined a girl about Drew's age and maybe slightly taller as she brushed imaginary dirt off her scarlet, school-girl skirt. Her baby-light pink hair was tied back into a bun and held with a navy blue ribbon identical to the one she wore around her neck. A jacket matching her skirt hung over her boney shoulders and a frilly, white blouse covered her torso. Drew raised an eyebrow at Violet who, strangely, took a timid step behind him. He gave her a suspicious look.

"What's wrong with y-"

"VIOLET! Darling! Is that you?" squealed the high-pitched, nasally voice, cutting Drew off. Violet shrunk further behind her traveling companion. In a millisecond, the flower-headed girl had dashed to her side.

"Violet! It's so good to see you, little sister!" she giggled, taking Violet's hands and grinning wildly. Drew looked at the mauve-haired girl, amused.

"You didn't tell me you had a sister…" he almost smirked.

"Hey Magenta," Violet laughed nervously.

"Violet! Yayness! Mom and Dad finally let you out of the house! Maybe you're more of their favorite than you thought!" Magenta blinked. "Oh no … Wait … That's me!" Drew gave the girl with cotton candy hair a disapproving look that went unnoticed.

"Ooh! Is he your boyfriend? He's CUTE!" Violet's sister "whispered" as loudly as she could. The purple-haired Coordinator's face turned scarlet, an edgy giggle escaping her lips; Drew's expression didn't change as his cheeks flushed red. He cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

"We're not a couple," he said.

"Oh …" Magenta exclaimed, turning her head cutely. "If that's the case," she smirked, side-stepping directly in front of Drew. "What are you doing this afternoon?" The question was asked in a sly, silky-smooth voice. Violet blinked rapidly a few times. Drew chuckled arrogantly and ran a hand through his hair.

"A nice offer, but I think I'll pass," he smirked. Magenta smiled sweetly.

"Okay, but let me know if you ever change your mind!" she giggled, flashing him a wink; Drew only continued to smile and fisted his hands in his pockets.

"Um … ," Violet stammered. Drew cast her a strange look. "What was up with that Espeon and Umbreon?" she wondered out loud, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Why, they've been at it for months!" exclaimed a stout, elderly man as he neared the group of young Poke'mon owners. His white hair stuck out in random directions from beneath his fur-brown doily hat; a fuzzy mustache of the same color hid his lips from view.

"But why?" Violet asked. The old man shrugged.

"No one really knows. They're siblings actually. They used to get along so well as Eevee."

"Hmph!" Magenta huffed, placing her hands on her hips and sticking her nose into the air. "Well, SOMEONE should do something about them! They're a nuisance!" The elderly man shook his head.

"No one dares to go near them! They're vicious! And besides … The Poke'mon Fan Club loves attending their battles! They're treated like sporting events!"

"Er …" Drew began rudely. "Who are you anyway?"

"Ah, of course," the gentleman chuckled, giving a bow. "I'm the President of the Poke'mon Fan Club, at your service!" Violet noticed Drew as he rolled his eyes.

"No changing the subject!" Magenta scolded playfully, poking Drew in the cheek. He raised an eyebrow cynically and pushed her hand away. Violet folded her arms as Magenta giggled. "I'll catch those nuisances!" Violet blinked.

"Hey, whoa! No, I want to catch that Umbreon!" she exclaimed. Drew smirked.

"You realize that there are two of them? You each could catch one," he suggested, shooting both females annoyed looks. Magenta grinned widely.

"Not if I catch them first!" she declared in a sing-song voice, sprinting out the building, leaving a cloud of dust behind that settled itself right in Violet's face. Drew laughed out loud.

"Yes," he smirked. "She is defiantly your sister!" Violet looked at him and growled.

"What's THAT supposed to mean?"

The following morning, Drew's eyes slowly fluttered open to see an empty bed adjacent to his. He blinked a couple of times, then thought, and quickly jolted up. Where was Violet? He glanced around the room quickly; there was no sign of her bag either. He jumped out of bed and shoved his feet into his sneakers, frantically scanning the room for his gray sweater. He snatched it up and was throwing it over his head as he ran out the door.

Racing into the Poke'mon Center's man lobby, he forced his way to the front desk.

"Nurse Joy!" he called. "Seen Violet?"

The nurse looked a bit flustered at suddenly been put on the spot like this. She even stuttered slightly before answering.

"I believe I saw her leave earlier this morning."

"Agh!" Drew groaned and rolled his eyes, shooting off again towards the door.

As he sprinted outside, he tossed a well-polished poke'ball which released the giant, green dragon.

"Flygon, let's move!" he ordered, leaping onto the Poke'mon's back. With a cry, it bolted off into the sky with a few beats of its mighty wings.

From the air, Drew could look for his companion miles at a time. His eyes inspected the city rapidly, dashing back and forth worriedly, the only comforting thought being that Violet's mauve head would be easy to spot. After looking for a few minutes and still having seen no sign of her, Drew cursed under his breath.

"Any sign of her, Flygon?" he asked his Poke'mon. The creature shook its head sadly, making Drew scowl further. Suddenly, he spotted a bright flash of colorful light down on the ground. "Flygon! Let's go check it out," he exclaimed, directing his Poke'mon to do a dive from the air. As they neared the ground, Drew could make out yet another battle going on between the Espeon and Umbreon they had ran into yesterday. He grimaced in aggravation. "Break it up, you two!" he ordered. "Flygon, dragonbreath!" As it swooped down, Flygon released a jet of brilliant green flame from its mouth and the attack split the two Eevee-evolutions apart.

"After them!" came a shrill voice, the owner of which couldn't be seen. Wait a second … That sounded like … Magenta? Drew pivoted around from atop Flygon to see the cotton candy-headed girl bound onto the sidewalk nearest the battling Poke'mon.

"Magenta!" Drew called. "Where's your si-" He was cut off as a familiar purple head appeared from around the corner of a building, racing to get beside her sister. "Violet!" he half gasped, half sighed. He was completely ignored by both females.

"Poke'ball!" They both shouted, tossing a couple poke'balls at the Espeon and Umbreon. Both Poke'mon were engulfed in red lights and disappeared in the capture devices. The one in which Espeon was caught, quickly quit twitching and settled still, but Umbreon's ball continued to jerk and convulse. Drew noticed Violet's eyes narrow at the poke'ball, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Finally, it subdued. Instantly, both sisters dashed to the balls and picked up their own, glaring at each other defiantly.

Drew threw himself off of Flygon and hurried over to his companion. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he shook her slightly.

"What were you thinking? Going off so early without telling me!" Violet blinked, clutching her prized Poke'ball like a child clutches a stuffed animal.

"Um … I wanted to catch that Umbreon …" she whimpered quietly. Drew growled.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Magenta smirked to herself behind the two of them.

Violet's eyebrows furrowed to show the ever so slight hint of crossness.

"I'm not a kid, ya know," she insisted, pushing Drew's hands off her. The grass-haired Coordinator folded his arms.

"Then here's a thought: Stop acting like one! I always feel like I have to keep an eye on you!" Violet frowned and seemed to have taken a sudden interest in her black, white, and yellow shoes. She fidgeted for a moment before slowly looking back up at her traveling partner. Drew looked at her and heaved a perturbed sigh.

"You can't go running off without telling me," he stated more calmly. Amethyst-colored hair fell over the girl's eyes as she nodded.

"AWW!" squealed Magenta, throwing her arms around Violet's and Drew's shoulders. "Sssoooooo SWEET!" Drew rolled his eyes dramatically and shrugged Magenta's arm off. Violet looked at him, minor disbelief showing in her eyes, then did the same to Magenta's other arm. The older girl blinked a couple times, but seemed to regain her composure. "Hmph! Well, my business here is done," she smiled slickly. "I've got what I wanted," she added, twirling the Poke'ball on the tip of a well-manicured fingernail. With that, she turned and began flouncing off.

Violet looked back to Drew who had begun his own journey somewhere. She frowned as she watched him walk away and took off after him without delay. Upon reaching his side, she gently took his hand in both of hers and pulled him to a stop, halting to stand in front of him. Drew watched her with emotionless eyes, but didn't attempt to push past her or pull his hand back right away.

"I'm really sorry, Drew. Forgive me? I didn't think it would matter to you if I wasn't there," she apologized sincerely, a glaze in her eyes adding to the pleading expression.

Drew's hand tensed up in preparation to pull away, but her hold on him tightened; she determinedly locked eyes with the mint-haired teen. He held her gaze for a minute, then looked away. At last, he gave her a curt nod. A weak smile curved Violet's lips as she slowly released his hand and let hers drop to her side.

Her mauve hair wavered around her as she turned to continue walking. Drew's feet were planted like roots as he watched her. A sea breeze ruffled his hair as he fisted his hands in his pockets, flexing his hands stressfully. Why had he been so anxious to find her? She wasn't his responsibility, was she?

_"Its what any person with a heart would do,"_ he convinced himself. "I didn't think it would matter either..." he muttered absentmindedly before following Violet back towards the Poke'mon Center.


	8. Chapter 8

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 8: _The Burning Building_

Flames lapped at his cheeks. Hot embers erupting from the fire burned as they flew into his eyes. The black smoke he was being forced to inhale made his lungs quiver; his entire chest ached from his constant need to cough. No matter which way he twisted or turned, only a searing inferno would greet him. Fighting the burning pain, he ran until he reached a door. Instantly, he grabbed the handle. A scorching sting shot through his palm, making him yowl out loud and he immediately let go. Suddenly, a terrified scream reached his ears and he did a double take. Through the blaze, the color of soft mauve caught his eye which then widened in fear.

Drew bolted upright in his bed, a thin coat of sweat dampening his face. He wiped it away and ran a hand through his hair, taking a few deep breaths. Turning his head, he looked at Violet sleeping peacefully in the other bed beside his. His heartbeat soon returned to normal.

Blinking himself back into reality, he glanced at the alarm clock on the night table between the two beds. '9:30' it read. He blinked again, this time in realization. Throwing the covers off of him, he cursed silently.

"Violet! Get up! We're gonna miss the ship!" he yelled.

"Hmm? … Wha?" Violet stammered, slowly opening her eyes and looking utterly confused. Drew quickly snatched the covers off her before returning to dashing around the room, gathering up all their belongings.

"Get moving! C'mon!" he ordered. "Get dressed!" He threw her shirt and skirt in her direction, both of which landed atop her head.

"Huh? Wha? Drew, I -"

Drew didn't let her finish whatever she was trying to say. He literally pulled her out of her bed and rushed her into the bathroom.

"Just get dressed! The ship leaves in half an hour! We've got to hurry!" he declared, throwing on his jacket.

"C'mon! Move it!" Drew ordered as he and Violet raced through the crowds of people at the docks. A loud bellow from a ship's horn made Drew's footsteps speed up even faster. He could see as the ship began to ever-so-slightly pull away from its port and the ramp leading up to it was being pulled back onto the ship. He grimaced.

"Violet, get ready to jump!" he shouted over his shoulder to his companion.

"What?" she shrieked.

"Just do it!" he directed, grabbing her by the wrist. "Don't stop!"

The ramp had already been pulled a few feet from the wharf, but that wasn't about to stop Drew. The two dashed down the pier and, as his foot hit the very edge, Drew lept with all his strength. Able to sense Violet in the air with him, he silently let out a breath of relief that she had enough guts to make the jump.

Drew's feet hit the ramp more than a foot from the end, Violet's directly behind him. The ramp, having been angled towards the sky to be brought back onto the ship, was impossible to stand on for long and the two teens began sliding down it towards the deck of the boat. Drew landed skillfully on his feet, only to have Violet pummel into him from behind and send the both of them to the floor with a loud 'thud'. The mauve-haired girl landed awkwardly atop his back, making Drew wince slightly.

"Phew!" Violet grinned down at him. "We made it!" From beneath her, Drew sent her a "no-freaking-duh" look in her direction.

"Get off me …" he groaned, blowing his grassy bangs out of his eyes. Violet giggled cheekily before quickly getting off of him and holding out a hand for him. He glanced at it for a second, but shook his head and heaved himself to his feet on his own.

Running a hand through his hair, Drew took a calming breath of sea air and exhaled slowly.

"Whoooooooeeeeee!" Violet giggled, racing into the tiny room and flinging herself onto one of the small waterbeds. She blinked at the squishy-ness and burst into another fit of laughter. She fell back, letting her head sink into the soft, blue pillow.

"You'd think you've never been on a ship before," Drew said dryly, tossing his knapsack onto his own bed. He waited for the waves to stop before slowly sitting on it himself.

"I haven't," his companion replied with a grin, turning her head to look at him without sitting up. "I've never been out of Lavender Town until now." Drew raised a slightly surprised eyebrow at her, then shrugged it off. He then pulled a map out from his bag and spread it out across his bed. His eyes quickly began to dart over it, scanning from one edge of the paper to the other, or so it seemed.

"So, Drew-bey," Violet began with a quirky little smile, starring up at the ceiling of their room. She didn't make eye-contact. "Lay it out for me. Where will the ship take us from here?" Drew suppressed a growl and groaned instead, his nostrils flaring.

"Do NOT call me that!" he exclaimed, glaring up at her. He knew she could feel his stone-cold stare on her, but she pretended not to notice as she continued to gaze off in her own little world. He held his intent look, watching her.

As she lay there on her back, she took deep, contented breaths measured out in perfect rhythm. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. He noticed how her chest rose and fell in perfect time with her inhalation and found his eyes tracing the curve. Suddenly, he blinked a few times and shook his head, lowering his face to more intently look at his map. He discretely felt the side of his face which was hot to the touch and scowled to himself.

"The ship will take us to the Colored-Crystal Station," he finally clarified in a securely steady voice. Violet flashed him a confused look and turned her head.

"But I thought the S.S. Anne was supposed to take us to the Hoenn region?" she said questioningly.

"It will, sort of," he assured her. "The Colored-Crystal Station is on the borderline between Kanto and Hoenn waters," he explained. "But since the S.S. Anne is a Kanto ship, it doesn't have authority to sail into Hoenn. The Colored-Crystal Station is an island where we'll make port and await a Hoenn ship, the S.S. Tidal to be exact." Violet looked at him blankly for a moment, then shifted her stare back to the ceiling and pressed a hand to her forehead.

"My head hurts," she muttered quietly. Drew couldn't hold back a wry smile.

Violet skipped into the elevator, Drew on her heels and rolling his eyes on the way. The doors were glass and outlined in gold, while the walls were soothing blues and greens of the sea.

"Ooh! Shiny!" the mauve-haired girl beamed, her eyes sparkling as she fixed her eyes on the long rows of buttons next to the door of the elevator. "Ooh! Food Deck! I'm starving!" she exclaimed, her fingers reaching for the button labeled 'Food Deck D6'.

"No," Drew said curtly, slapping her hand away. He couldn't help but feel like a parent scolding a child.

"Awwww! But why? I haven't had breakfast yet and I'm STARVING!" she wailed, looking pathetically at her companion. He gave her a stern look. He didn't want to get separated, particularly because she wouldn't last two seconds without him; she was hazardous too herself and all the people around her.

"I have to go to the information desk," he said, pressing the button labeled 'Passenger Services D3' with a thumb.

"Well, let me go and we'll meet up later!" the girl insisted as the floor of the elevator shifted beneath their feet. "Whoa!" As if on que, she lost her balance and slammed into Drew which then created a domino-effect, crushing the grass-haired Coordinator between Violet and the wall. He opened his eyes after the crash to find himself pinned, his traveling partner's hands resting shakily on his shoulders for balance. For a moment, something in his chest seemed to explode and temporarily put him out of commission. Whether or not it was from the impact or something else, he wasn't sure.

Sighing, he urged Violet off of him, a strong hold on her arms. He steadied her as the elevator stopped and a tiny 'bing' sounded. The doors open and he walked out wordlessly, his hands in his pockets. But Violet stood behind, her hands pulled tightly to her chest and a slight blush highlighting her cheeks. When Drew realized he wasn't being followed, he stopped and turned on his heel to look back at her. He raised an eyebrow.

"Violet? Come on," he said. The girl blinked a couple times, shook her head, her purple hair waving back and forth with her, and snapped back into reality.

"Nope! I'm going to the Food Deck! Bye!" With that she waved, and abruptly shut the doors of the elevator before Drew could've done anything about it.

He watched through the glass doors as she zoomed off to an upper deck, grimacing slightly. He huffed, pivoted, and stormed off in his intended direction. They would meet up later.

"Okay, guys!" Violet sounded, throwing up her arms, a fork and a spoon fisted in each hand. "Dig in!"

"_Rwarf!"_

"_Sneaz!"_

"'_Saul!" _sounded her Poke'mon, happy and toothy grins spreading across their faces as they dove their faces into their bowls (with a couple exceptions). Onyx Ice daintily speared a piece of berry with a claw and took a delicate bite. However, a particular, out-of-place Umbreon sniffed inquisitively at its bowl of treats.

"It's okay, Ghost Ring!" Violet assured it, a large spoonful of potato salad half-way to her mouth. One of Ghost Ring's ears drooped and it glanced around at the other Poke'mon.

"'_Saul!" _White Fang nodded happily, gulping down a bite full of its own food.

"_Arf! Arf!" _Dark Thorn added, bouncing happily as it barked. The Absol, Poochyena, and Umbreon glanced over at the Dark-Ice hybrid.

"_Sneaz," _it shrugged apathetically, taking another bite of fruit. Ghost Ring looked back down at its bowl of food and then took a hesitant bite of a cream-filled pastry. It chewed, then seemed to grin and swallowed happily.

"_Uuum - bre'!" _it exclaimed, its ears perked up.

All of a sudden, a familiar lime-topped teen angrily flopped down in the chair across from Violet's at the white sun-table.

"Hey, Drew!" Violet smiled. "What's up?" Drew seemed to simmer. Without a word, he tossed a pamphlet across the table to his companion. Violet looked down at it, a fork sticking out of her mouth. On the front of the flier was an image of a great volcano. Scenes of people soothing away their troubles in hot springs at its base decorated the bottom of the brochure, and big, fiery letters were written across the top. Violet gulped.

"Cinnabar Island," she read, then grinned widely. "Sounds nice."

"Well, great!" Drew growled. "'Cause we're going!" Violet turned her head in that endearing way that she does.

"And….. How is this a bad thing?" she asked. Drew moaned and agitatedly ran a hand through his bangs.

"The S.S. Anne makes a day-stop there but I didn't know it! We'll be stuck an entire day in Cinnabar's port!" he roared. Violet blinked and Drew slapped his forehead. "I could miss the Lilycove Contest!"

"Oooooooohhhhhh!" the girl realized. "Aw, I be sorry, Drew-bey!" she frowned, jumping out of her chair and running around the table to throw her arms around her friend's neck. Drew could feel her rosy cheek pressed against his, instantly making his face grow hot. Then, he could feel his eye twitch.

"Don't call me that!" he snarled. "And get OFF me!" At once, Violet released him.

"Okay, Masquerain, let's try a combination! Bubblebeam and silver wind!"

The pink and white moth squeaked and released a flock of sparkling, blue bubbles. At the same time, it beat it's paper-thin wings, now glowing silver, and created glimmering gusts that pushed the bubbles outward until the practice arena held a beautiful array of glistening bubbles spiraling around and around with a shimmering Masquerain in the center. As the bubbles floated away, the Poke'mon floated back over to its Coordinator.

"_Rrraaaaaaiiinn!" _it twittered. Drew nodded.

"Well done, Masquerain," he said, petting the top of its head. Then, a loud yawn sounded in the far corner. It had come from a droopy-eyed Violet.

"Drew?" she whined. "Can't we go back to the room now? It's late, and I'm sleepy!" With that, she rubbed her eyes groggily.

"You have a room key. Go back yourself," he said in a monotone voice, crossing his arms as Masquerain planted itself atop his head.

"Eeeehhhhh!" she cried (almost literally). "But I don't like walking back alone! I don't know the ship and it's dark!" Drew looked out the porthole in the training room to see darkness. "Besides," Violet went on. "We need to get some sleep if we're going to explore the island tomorrow! You can train later!" The grass-topped boy gave her a firm look.

"I'm not taking one step off this ship," he exclaimed.

Drew muttered curses under his breath as Violet drug him down the docks away from the S.S. Anne on the following day.

"_She must've gotten SOME sleep last night!" _he thought bitterly. _"Because I bet my Rainbow Badge that she's going to drag me all over this freaking island!"_ On their way into the town, the pair noticed a large fair taking place.

"Ooh! Look! C'mon, Drew!" Violet squealed, racing towards the flags and stands. Drew slowly walked after her, his hands in his pockets and decided against telling her that the Cinnabar "Fair" wasn't anything to get excited about; considering the island was nothing more than one big tourist-trap and the rinky-dink carnival was here year-round.

Not but a few minutes later, Drew walked side-by-side with Violet as she skipped through the stands, a corn dog in her mouth. She giggled happily.

"Mh! Mhhmmh -"

"Swallow," Drew cut her off with a wry look. Violet gulped loudly.

"This place is great! Ooh! Pretty!" she chimed, dashing to a nearby booth decorated with elaborate charms and trinkets. The young man rolled his eyes, but felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Then, something caught his eye. Taking one last securing glance at his companion, he neared another set-up. Series of glass-blown jewelry sets were laid out across the blue, velvet cloth that topped the table. A specific model he found most alluring. It was a tiny, amethyst-colored pendant crafted in the form of a flame. He shot the salesman a questioning glance, requesting permission, before picking up the ornament carefully between his fingers. He examined it in the palm of his hand, the glass cool to his skin and the sun reflecting brilliantly off its smooth surface. The way the light struck it, it created a certain glow that made the little piece of jewelry sparkle majestically.

"You have excellent taste, sir. That'd be the Violet Flame. It was excavated from the Burning Building shortly after the catastrophe. The lady of the mansion owned this piece. It's quite rare, but I'm selling it at a very inexpensive price for your convenience," chortled the salesman; it was obviously a well-practiced act. Drew doubted that his little story was true, but that didn't diminish the beauty of said product.

"Violet F-" A loud crash broke the green-haired Coordinator's words. Drew pivoted around in an instant to see a completely totaled booth across the street and a tense, sprawled-out Violet among the wreckage.

"Honestly, Violet. You've GOT to be more careful!" Drew preached as he wrapped an ace bandage around the girl's wrist. She pouted at him.

"Oh my goodness! What happened here?" came a shrill, perky voice from behind. Violet watched in amazement as Drew's eyes suddenly grew wider and the boy froze completely. She looked up to see a tall man with long, light purple hair; he was dressed from head-to-toe in bright green and looked stunningly like a Cacturne.

"…Hi….Harley…," Drew muttered with a disturbed face and obviously with some effort. "My friend had a run-in with a sale's stand."

"Oh! You poor thing!" Harley shrieked, placing a hand over his mouth which had taken the form of a perfect "o". Violet couldn't suppress a giggle.

"I'm fine! My name's Violet," she introduced, holding out the hand that wasn't bandaged.

"Harley, at your service!" the extravagant young man introduced, taking her hand and giving it a kiss. Drew raised an eyebrow for a split moment at the action.

"Do you know Drew?" the girl asked curiously, turning her head.

"You could say that…" Drew uttered quietly, a vacant expression on his face. "Oof!"

"Drew and I are ol' buddies, right Drew?" Harley grinned, grabbing the young boy in a friendly hug/headlock. Drew coughed awkwardly.

"Yeah…" he mumbled. "The best of friends…" For about the fifth time that day, the young top-Coordinator rolled his eyes.

"Ooh! A day-spa! How lovely!" squeaked Harley, clasping his hands together.

"It looks great! Let's go!" Violet beamed in agreement and the two walked in hand-in-hand. Sure enough, Violet was dragging Drew all over the island. What was worse, Harley, whom Drew had officially dubbed "The Worst Weirdest Wonder of the World", (Drew reminded himself to one day challenge someone to say that five times fast.) got along excellently with his traveling companion.

Drew watched, agitated, as Violet and Harley checked-in. The two quickly began glancing over the menu of services, giggling the entire time.

"Check it out! I wanna try the mud bath!" Drew heard Violet squeal giddily. He was leaning against the wall in the opposite corner, his arms crossed over his chest. "C'mon, Drew! Don't you want to come with us?" she asked with a grin.

"No. Way!" he replied indignantly, not looking her way.

"Oh, he has always been such a spoil-sport!" Harley chuckled. Violet placed her hands on her hips and playfully sighed, shaking her head.

"You can say that again!"

"Excuse me?" came a soft voice from behind the counter. The elderly lady at the front desk smiled back at them. Her long, gray hair was tied back in a bun, but only the occasional wrinkle obscured her face. "If you all are looking for an activity to agree upon, I believe I have a suggestion." Violet gave her an intent look, her eyes sparkling slightly.

"Please, ma'am, do tell!" she beamed.

"You know the Burning Building, correct? It's open to explorers. I imagine rummaging through the old mansion would be quiet the adventure," she laughed good-naturedly.

"The Burning Building?" Violet repeated, confused; the girl turned her head as she spoke.

"Also known as the Poke'mon Mansion of Cinnabar Island. A very wealthy family who loved Poke'mon once lived there. Until, one day, it caught on fire. The family got out safely, but were too traumatized to move back. No one has cleaned up the debris, even though the mansion is still standing and full of wild Poke'mon," Drew explained. The old woman nodded.

"Some even say it's haunted," she added with an amused smile.

"Haunted?" Violet beeped, jumping excitedly. "If it is haunted, then we've GOT to go!"

"Sounds like fun!" Harley agreed, nodding. "I say we go!"

"No!" Drew said suddenly, making the other two look at him strangely. "There is no way we're going into that death trap!"

"Aw!" Harley giggled, putting an arm around Drew and poking his cheek. "Are you scared?"

"Don't worry, Drew-bey!" Violet smiled, taking Drew's hand and swinging it back and forth childishly. "We'll protect you, won't we, Harley?"

"NO!" Drew barked again, shoving both mauve-topped Coordinator's away from him.

Ignoring Drew's constant objections, the party made their way to the edge of town until they reached the courtyard of the mansion. The iron gate hung loosely from the hinges and the garden had grown wild and unruly. Vines grew over the fences and Drew could hear the unmistakable twitters of Poke'mon coming from the brush.

The mansion itself towered over the grounds. It was rickety and seemed as if it would collapse at any moment. A couple windows were broken, shingles were falling from the roof, and the door was busted in, giving whoever was standing on the porch a small view of what lie inside.

"C'mon, let's go!" Violet chimed eagerly, making a sprint for the doorway; Harley was fast on her heels.

"Violet!" Drew called after her. "I REALLY don't think this is a good idea!"

"Aw, you're just being a fun-sucker!" Violet said, brushing him off with a shrug.

"No! That place has been decaying for decades! You could fall through the floorboards or worse, get attacked by a group of wild fire Poke'mon! And you can't expect HIM to save you!" he said accusingly, jutting a finger at Harley who blinked a couple times.

"Drew, I can take care of myself," the girl assured him, shaking her head, her wavy, plum hair bouncing against her shoulders, and never letting her grin leave her lips. "Really, I'm not a little kid." Drew folded his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"Then why do I always have to keep an eye on you? Why do I always have to make sure you're not getting into any trouble? Why is it that you can't do a single thing correctly without my help?" he shot back. He could feel the heat in his cheeks; his head felt like it was about to explode. "It's way to dangerous in there!"

"Well, I don't care! I want to go!" Violet said, a slight pout on her bottom lip as it puffed out. She bounced a time or two on her feet, her hands on her hips, then pivoted to walk into the building.

"Violet!" he called her name again, rushing forward after her and grabbing her by her wrist. She quickly looked back over her shoulder, her hair billowing out as she turned.

"Lemme go!" she demanded, forcefully wrenching her hand from him with strength that surprised Drew. Without a word, she stomped off into the mansion with Harley behind her. However, the tall Coordinator took the time to stop and look back over his shoulder at the young, grass-haired boy and let a tiny smirk curve his lips.

Drew stood there in a bit of a shock for a moment, blinking a couple of times in disbelief. Violet just told him "no". That was so unlike her. Drew wondered for a moment if it had actually happened; maybe he was dreaming. He couldn't quiet describe what he was feeling. Hurt, sadness, disbelief, betrayal? The last one seemed right. Then, he snapped back into reality and a surge of anger swept through him.

"Fine!" he retorted, shouting it towards the neglected mansion. "But don't expect me to save you if you get into trouble!" He let out a loud growl and turned, kicking a rock out of aggravation; the stone flew off and hit the gate they had entered through. Shoving a hand in his pocket, he pulled out a purple, glass fire emblem, now attached to a black, velvet choker by a silver ring. He glowered at the charm before closing his fingers around it and clutching it so tightly his knuckles turned white. Then he pulled his arm back and let it fly forward, releasing the piece of jewelry and chucking it as far as he possibly could.

Violet followed Harley through the long corridors of the Poke'mon Mansion, both of them keeping an eye out for any "ghosts"; although, it appeared to Harley as if his companion's mind was on something other than poltergeists.

"Vi, come look at this!" Harley called her over. She ventured to where he was standing, in front of a broken vanity mirror. Taped to the edge of it was an old, slightly singed photograph of a businessman with a little boy sitting on his shoulders and a beautiful woman standing next to them, a sincere smile on her face. She wore an insanely elegant dressed, her hair was done up in a bun, and the girl could've sworn she made out a necklace around the woman's neck. By the look in her eyes, Violet seemed to think she looked familiar and the amethyst-haired girl ran a hand over the picture.

"They look really happy," she thought outloud.

"I know. So sweet, isn't it?" Harley cooed, making Violet giggle. Then, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze shifted to the mirror that was shattered into at least fifty pieces but was still intact. Her blood went cold and she froze on the spot. Starring back at her was a pair of bright, glowing red eyes. Billowing around the narrow face, was angelic, cream-white fur. Judging by the twitching of his face, Violet knew Harley had seen it too. The pair spun around to see a red-eyed Ninetales glaring at them, all nine of its tails fluttering out behind it angrily.

"_Nya!" _it cried, opening its mouth and releasing a jet of flame at the two of them.

"Aaaieeeyyhh!" Violet screamed, throwing herself to the side to avoid getting burned. Harley had nimbly jumped in the opposite direction.

"Oh, come now, it's just ONE Ninetales!" he exclaimed. As he said this, an army of tiny, brown fox Poke'mon and red and black puppy Poke'mon rushed loyally to the Ninetales' side. "I just HAD to open my big mouth, didn't I?" Harley shrieked, taking off in some unknown direction.

"Hey!" she cried. "Wait for me!" Leaping to her feet, she darted after him as fast as her feet would carry her. As she ran, she looked back over her shoulder to see that, as she feared, the legion of fire Poke'mon were chasing her, and that Ninetales was right on her heels! "Aww!" she whined loudly. "Why is Drew always right?" The cry of a Vulpix behind her signaled the jet of another wave of heat. She could feel it coming towards her; she tried to dodge but wasn't quite fast enough. Her right arm was engulfed in flames for a brief moment, but the scorching pain made her screech in agony. She snatched away, never slowing down for a moment, already feeling the blisters beginning to form.

Then, she noticed an entrance to another area ahead of her. Without thinking, she rushed inside the room and immediately locked the door behind her. Collapsing onto the floor, she gasped for air.

"I - think we - lost 'em!" she panted. No response. She looked around, scanning the room. "Harley?" she called. Again, no answer. She began glancing around, more frantic this time. "Harley?" Then a loud pounding began beating against the door. She could see and feel the flames on the other side of it; the fire Poke'mon were trying to break it down! She backed away from the door, shaking with terror. But then, out of no where, she heard a loud snapping sound and the floorboards gave way beneath her. She plummeted downward, screaming, and landed hard on her backside. She whimpered pathetically, feeling the tears well up in her eyes, and pushed herself to her feet.

"Why didn't I just listen to Drew?" she bawled to herself, reaching for a poke'ball at her waist. "I can't get out of here alone…" She tossed the capsule, the flash of white light signaling the arrival of her favorite Absol. "White Fang, I need you to go find Drew for me!" she instructed. White Fang gave her worried look and stepped forward, giving her hand a small lick, before rushing off in a blur of white fur. After it left, she sat herself in the corner of the room behind a pile of seared furniture, praying for it to come back as soon as possible.

Drew slowly walked down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets and head hung low. He glared at everything he passed. The Pidgy sitting in the trees, any tourist's kid that came up to him, and even the gum stuck on the cement walkway received angry looks from the green-haired boy. Then, he noticed a white-pelted Poke'mon rushing towards him.

"White Fang?" he thought outloud.

"'_Saul! Ab-saul!" _it barked frantically.

"I told her that place was dangerous," Drew said carelessly, shrugging as he continued walking.

"_Ab-saul!" _the Poke'mon growled, blocking Drew's path with its body and baring its tiny, white fangs at him.

"It's her own fault! She should've listened to me!" he retorted, pushing past his x-team member.

"'_Saul!" _White Fang snarled. The mint-topped Coordinator stopped and looked over his shoulder, meeting the Poke'mon's vivid red eyes with a defying glare.

It was a while that Violet sat there, just being as quiet as she could and hoping that the wild Poke'mon wouldn't sniff her out. She wished she could call her Poke'mon out, but she didn't want to risk their safety in what would be a pointless fight against all those fire Poke'mon. Then, speaking of the devils, a burst of flames at the nearest door busted it down and the horde of Poke'mon flooded the room, embers brimming from their mouths. Violet jumped to her feet, ready to run, but they had her cornered. No matter which way she turned, angry faces of fire Poke'mon met her. Then, she made the mistake of meeting the eye of a nearby Growlithe. It reared its head back, its tail straight and the fur on its back bristling. Violet could see the fire forming around its fangs. Throwing her hands up and shutting her eyes tight, she pressed her back to the wall and prepared for the fatal blast of heat.


	9. Chapter 9

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 9: _Shadow's Out Of The Bag! _

As the Growlithe struck, Violet felt the heat near her face, the flames already burning her flesh.

"White Fang, hyper beam!" came a familiar voice from out of no where. The golden ray intercepted the jet of flame, causing a small explosion and surrounding the area in nothing but smoke.

"Wha ..?" Violet gasped, protecting her eyes from the fumes that were making them sting and water. All of a sudden, the Ninetales leapt through the smoke, its mouth full of bared fangs that were aimed at Violet's throat. That's when Violet felt someone push her out of the way. She hit the ground hard, her rescuer falling right beside with their arm slung protectively around her waist. The mauve-haired Coordinator opened her eyes to see Drew's face only inches from her own. They locked eyes for half a second before Drew was on his feet, yanking Violet up with him.

"We're getting out of here! Flygon, let's go!" he announced as he threw his poke'ball.

"_Rraiyh!" _the Dragon Poke'mon screeched as it appeared from its capsule, its wings spread wide.

"White Fang, Flygon, double hyper beam!" the lime-haired boy commanded and the two Poke'mon shot their rays into the sea of enemies. Some were thrown aside like Poke'mon plush dolls, while others backed away timidly.

"Violet!" Drew called as he sprung atop Flygon. His hand shot out, grabbing hers, and helped her clamber on behind him.

"Return!" she shouted, holding up a poke'ball; the red light engulfed White Fang and it disappeared back into the ball as they took flight. Drew felt the girl's arms wrench tightly around his waist as she shook slightly (out of fear, no doubt).

With Flygon's speed, they zoomed over the heads of the fire Poke'mon, dodging streams of flamethrowers and fire spins.

"Duck!" Drew ordered. The two lowered their heads, Violet burying her face in her friend's jacket, as they rocketed out the doorway with a loud "whoosh", leaving the rickety, old mansion behind as they gained altitude and flew into the sky.

Flygon landed with a loud "thud" on the top deck of the S.S. Anne, lowering its belly to the ground for its riders to dismount. No sooner than Drew's feet had hit the ground, a pair of arms threw themselves around his neck.

"Thank you, Drew!" Violet sighed, nuzzling the side of her face against his. Drew stood still for a second, before bringing his hands up to rest on her arms for a moment. Then he pulled her away. Without a word, he returned Flygon to its poke'ball, then turned to stand beside the railing at the edge of the deck. Oranges and reds were beginning to mingle with the blue of the sky, signaling the end of the day. Violet watched a gentle sea breeze ruffle his hair as the foghorn on the ship blew loudly, indicating the nearness of their departure. The plum-haired girl slowly walked up next to him.

"Drew," she said quietly. He didn't look her way, nor did he give any hint that he had heard her. He only continued to stare off into the early sunset. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you …" This time, he looked in her direction, but rather than look at her face, his gaze drifted to her forearm.

"Come on," he said. "I'll clean your arm." Turning, he began making his way to the elevator and ushered for her to follow.

Violet sat on her waterbed, wincing as Drew ran the alcohol-soaked cotton swab over her burn.

"Don't wiggle," he ordered curtly, keeping his eyes fixated on his work.

"But it stings!" she whined, biting her bottom lip until she tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth. The boy gave her no word after that, but quickly finished his cleaning. Then he reached over, grabbing a small, green bottle that appeared to have lots of bubbles floating around inside it. He squirted some of the cold gel into the palm of his hand before lightly running it over her wound. She shuddered at its chilliness, but then sighed as the unwelcome heat flew off her arm.

Drew soothingly ran his hand over her arm in a somewhat circular motion, spreading the glaze over the scald. He watched his own movements, unable to look up at his companion. He followed his hand with his eyes until he appeared to be in some sort of trance; it was as if he had suddenly been put on auto-pilot. Any amount of time could have passed where he just sat there rubbing the freezing, sticky liquid into Violet's arm. But then her voice shattered his daze.

"I believe it's dry now…" she uttered in a soft voice; he had never heard her so quiet before. He took his hand away without a word. Raising himself from his sitting position in front of her on the floor, he stood to hover over her. She looked up at him, and he found himself unlucky enough to have caught her gaze. Their eyes locked, he realized he had leaned down so their foreheads were almost touching. He searched her amethyst eyes for something that would portray her current emotion; she was always so easy to read. But, as luck would have it, she closed her eyes and broke the starring contest. However, she didn't move; in fact, her face seemed to tilt upwards slightly. Drew blinked. Did she … expect him to … ? He didn't oblige; instead, he turned and opened the door to their room. The sound caused Violet's eyes to fly open. When she saw him standing in the doorway, a glossy finish formed itself over her pupils and a worrisome appearance strained her features.

"Where are you going?" she asked. He didn't answer.

"I'll be back soon," he replied instead and went to leave.

"Drew!" she said quickly to stop him, shooting to her feet. This made him stop in his tracks, but he didn't rotate to look at her. "You're…still going to let me travel with you … aren't you?" Her words seemed to come out painstakingly slow for the both of them, but Drew couldn't find it in himself to answer. Without replying, he left and shut the door behind him.

Drew stepped out onto the training deck. The sky was now completely dark; only the few lights from the ship lit his way.

"Ah, so you did decide to show!" came the shrill, sadistic voice. The young Coordinator glanced across the deck to see "The Worst Weirdest Wonder of the World" starring back at him, a smirk gracing his mouth.

"Of course I showed," Drew retorted, crossing his arms and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "What do you want, Harley?"

"Oh… Not much," the strange man replied, putting both hands behind his back and swaying slightly. "So, you rescued Vi-Vi, did you? Why the sudden change of h-"

"You could've killed her!" the grass-haired Coordinator cut him off, narrowing his eyes.

"Hmm. Guess that thought just didn't occur to me," Harley shrugged. "I just thought it would be a pretty good way to get Shadow out of the National Grand Festival." It took all of Drew's willpower not to let his eyes go wide at these words. Instead, he raised an eyebrow.

"What on earth are you talking about?" he questioned.

"Oh, don't play dumb with me!" the outlandish Coordinator scolded, both hands on his hips. "It fits! She's the same height! She has purple hair! And the last person anyone saw with Shadow was you!" Drew's eyes met Harley's. "I'm playing the same game you are! I'm just better! Instead of learning my opponent's weaknesses, I just get rid of the opponent!"

"There's a word for that," Drew pointed out. "It's called cheating!"

"Details," Harley shrugged carelessly. "Who needs 'em?" Drew ignored his selfishness this time.

"You better not let Violet's secret slip," he threatened. Harley smirked at him from beneath his hat.

"I don't plan too. If everyone knew, they'd all be looking to stand in her way," the long-haired man explained. Drew didn't bother to tell him that not all Coordinators are as self-centered as he was because he didn't feel like pushing the subject.

"Is this all you dragged me out here for?" the boy inquired harshly.

"Oh, I'm afraid not," Harley said, shaking his head. "You see, I do believe I have something that belongs to you…" He took something from his pocket and dangled it in front of his face. Even in the night air, the shape and color of the trinket was unmistakable.

"The Violet Flame?" Drew gasped. "How did you get that?"

"What do you care?" Harley smirked. "If I recall correctly, I found this in the woods. That must mean you tried to get rid of it."

"It doesn't matter. I bought it with my money. It belongs to me!" the boy countered, thumbing to himself.

"Come now, Drew. What's so special about a little, flame-shaped trinket? Hm?" Harley toyed, dangling the charm over the side of the ship. Drew could feel his heart skip a couple of beats and he didn't know why. He growled loud enough for the other Coordinator to hear.

"Stop that!" he demanded, gritting his teeth.

"Oh, what's this?" Harley snickered, pulling the piece of jewelry back. "Have I touched a nerve?" Drew growled under his breath again.

"Give me that before I make you!" he warned, raising a fist.

"Ooh!" Harley giggled, pretending be frightened and taking a step backwards. "I'm shaking in my boots!"

"Agh! Give it back!" the young Coordinator ordered, rushing towards Harley. The older boy didn't even have time to blink before Drew had tackled him, sending him to the ground.

"Ow! Hey!" he whined, releasing the pendant which flew into the air. Drew was already on his feet and skillfully caught it before it hit the ground. He inspected in carefully in the palm of his hand and took a deep breath when he realized it hadn't been damaged.

"Why you little - !" Drew heard Harley grumble from behind him. He recognized when Harley's foot came down from his first step. In a split second, the flamboyant Coordinator had rushed at the boy, but Drew was too quick and stepped aside just in time to see Harley fumble forward and fall right over the railing, plummeting into the water below. Smirking, Drew dropped a life-preserver (which he had removed the rope from first) off the ship above Harley's head.

"Jerk overboard," he chuckled, a sly grin on his face.

"Ack! You better not leave me down here, you little twerp!" the eccentric man squealed. Sounds of a splashing fit reached Drew's ears as he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button labeled "Rooms D1", a satisfied sneer curving his lips.

Drew stepped quietly into the room he shared with Violet, easing the door shut behind him. But has he turned around, a pair of ears perked upward; the moonlight shining in through their porthole made the yellow rings glow gold. A second later, bright, scarlet eyes blinked open. Ghost Ring lay across the waist of a sleeping Violet; her back was turned to him and her face snuggled deep into the covers.

He took a step forward, only to be met by a deep growl. He looked down to see another pair of crimson eyes starring back at him. In the dark, he could just barely make out the snow-colored pelt of White Fang. He took another step forward, but the Absol placed its paw in front of his foot and bared its teeth at the emerald-eyed Coordinator.

A pair of fluffy, gray fur was curled up in a tiny ball on the pillow beside Violet's head, soft, yellow eyes flashing at Drew. A small rumble at the quick flash of miniature fangs revealed Dark Thorn.

Sitting at the foot of the bed, the mahogany eyes of Onyx Ice blazed back at him, its sharp claws gleaming in the moonlight.

"_Sneaz," _it warned in a low hiss. Drew took a step back, looking over the Poke'mon with hurt eyes. Then, he returned their glares and stiffened.

"Fine," he exclaimed calmly, and lumbered over to his own bunk. He kicked his shoes off hatefully, hoping one would hit White Fang on the nose or something, threw off his jacket, and clambered underneath the covers. But, despite his best efforts, his eyes just wouldn't close all night.


	10. Chapter 10

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 10: _The Knock Knock Joker_

When Drew woke the next morning, Violet's bed was already empty. Sitting up, he ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, but wasted no time throwing on his jacket, putting on his shoes, and running a comb through his hair. He knew without a shadow of a doubt where Violet would be, the Food Deck. He hurried out the room into the long corridor off other staterooms and to the elevator.

He arrived on the sixth deck of the S.S. Anne and immediately began scanning through the groups of people for a purple head. It didn't take him long to recognize Violet sitting at a white sun-table eating a waffle. To his dismay, White Fang was also sitting in the shade of the table at her feet. Cautiously, he neared the mauve-haired girl. Just as he predicted, he received a deep-throated growl from the Absol; Violet seemed to ignore the Dark Poke'mon's hostility.

"Good morning, Drew," she said with a smile, syrup painted along her lips.

"Morning," he muttered, then ushered around his own mouth, making Violet lick her lips. Drew was about to open his mouth to say something else, but a large burst of laughter stopped him before he could. Over by the counter, a bulky collection of people was gathered. Behind the counter, a hulking man with a shaved head was telling jokes.

"So, how do you make a Pikablu?" asked the man. He was answered by murmurs and utters of, "I don't know." "Make a Pikachu hold its breath for an hour!" he exclaimed, and the crowd erupted into fits of laughter; and they weren't the only ones. Next to Drew, Violet was clutching her sides and giggling insanely.

"It wasn't that funny," the green-haired Coordinator pointed out with a blank expression, but the girl was to busy laughing to listen. All of a sudden, Violet squeaked and jarred the table as an auburn-haired boy wearing overalls jumped out in front of her.

"Hheeyy," she whined. "What did you do that for?" She turned her head cutely as she spoke.

"Well it ain't my fault you're jumpier than a long-tailed Glameow in a room full of rockin' chairs!" the boy grinned in a southern accent, instantly sending Violet back into hysterics. Drew rolled his eyes and noticed a cream-colored horse Poke'mon by the boy's side, a flaming mane brimming along its long neck.

"Are you a trainer?" he asked.

"Coordinator," the boy corrected proudly. "Name's Randal from Solaceon Town!" Drew raised an eyebrow at him.

"Wait a second … If you're from Solaceon, how can you afford a cruise on a luxury liner?" he inquired suspiciously, crossing his arms.

"My pop owns a ranch. He breeds Ponyta and Rapidash. We're the richest family in the whole town!" Randal explained, thumbing to himself. Drew suppressed the urge to roll his eyes yet again, not mentioning that being the richest person in a village of farmers wasn't really anything to brag about. "Check out my custom-made poke'ball for Ponyta!" he boasted, holding out a shiny, black poke'ball with a tiny, red flame painted on the front.

"_Rich with stupidity, perhaps," _Drew thought bitterly to himself; he had seen more impressive poke'balls, many of which he had painted himself.

"Ooh!" Violet cooed. "Pretty!"

"Well," Randal smirked, brushing his nose with a thumb. "Aren't you just as sweet as a Swablu?" The plum-topped girl giggled sweetly, but Drew noticed a faint blush spread across her cheeks. He couldn't help it when his eyes narrowed at the southern-style Coordinator.

"Okay, Roselia, let's do it!" Drew ordered.

"_Rrrooow!" _the flower-dawning Poke'mon called, raising its roses. Black static ebbed from the petals for a moment, then a tiny orb of darkness formed before fizzling away. The emerald-eyed boy sighed and held his forehead as the Roselia hung its head.

"_Rrrooooooooow…" _it said sadly.

"It's alright, Roselia," its Coordinator assured it, placing a hand between the thorns on its head. "Keep trying."

"Rapidash, fire blast!" came a thundering command from Drew's back right. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the unicorn-like Poke'mon expertly shoot the star-shaped jet of flame.

"But, Mr. Randal, sir!" sounded another pleading, yet oddly familiar, voice from the same direction.

"_Randal?" _Drew thought and kneeled next to Roselia, keeping an ear out on the nearby conversation.

"It's that boy of yours again, sir!" came that same insistent voice. After a moment, the young Coordinator recognized the voice as that of the comedian he and Violet had seen earlier. "He's been stealing my jokes again!"

"Can the lad help it if the ladies love'em just like they do his old man?" replied the other voice, the one with the Rapidash. Through corner-eye vision, Drew noticed he had slick, auburn hair and was wearing a plaid shirt and jeans; he also had an unmistakable southern drawl.

"Only because he goes around telling them he came up with them himself!" argued the comedian.

"Listen here," Mr. Randal warned. "Leave Jr. alone, ya hear? Or you're fired!"

"Yes, Mr. Randal," his apparent client grumbled reluctantly.

"_What does a farmer want with a comedian?" _Drew thought to himself, but shrugged it off; that wasn't the most important thing on his mind. He had just gotten major dirt on everyone's favorite southern-style Coordinator.

Randal and Violet sat at a sun table, Violet in a two-piece black bathing suit and Randal in a pair of blue swim trunks.

"Knock Knock!" Randal grinned.

"Who's there?" giggled the amethyst-haired girl.

"Ivysaur!"

"Ivysaur who?"

"I've a sore knuckle from knocking so much!"

Violet broke out into a spasm of hilarity when a cocky voice came from about ten feet behind them.

"Did you steal that one from your old man's comedian too, Jr.?" smirked an arrogant lime-haired boy, his arms crossed and his position (leaning against a wall) the portrayal of smugness; he added extra emphasis on the word "Jr." Violet and Randal turned in the young top-Coordinator's direction.

"What are you talking about?" the auburn-haired boy asked as if he was completely clueless; although, Drew just assumed he was completely stupid.

"Your father's comedian came up with all those cheesy jokes," Drew explained, haughtiness still evident in his voice.

"Aw! You're just jealous 'cause I've been flirt'n' with your lady-friend here!" snickered Randal. For almost a second, Drew was sure he had accidentally let his eye twitch; if Randal had seen it, he would never let Drew live it down. To the grass-topped boy's horrible luck, the southern-style Coordinator had noticed. "You're just tryin' to start somethin'!" he exclaimed.

"Hmph," Drew sneered, tossing a lock of his hair. "And you're making it real easy for me too. A fraud isn't hard to pick out especially when they're jokes stink!"

"Nuh-uh! I came up with them jokes!" the other boy argued, his eye twitching. Drew saw this and grinned wickedly; he could tell Randal was about to cave.

"You guys! Please don't start something!" begged Violet, sitting up from her position on the table; Randal had jumped up a long time ago.

"You're nothing but one big sham," Drew smirked, ignoring the mauve-haired girl completely.

"You callin' me a liar?" challenged Randal.

"Well, I'm certainly NOT calling you for a Poke'block-making party," Drew retorted cockily, putting a hand in his pocket.

"That's it! Randal exclaimed, eyes narrowed angrily "We're settlin' this now! I challenge you to a Poke'mon battle!"

"Hmph, about time," Drew chuckled smugly.

The two boys and Violet made their way to the training deck where each of the males took a spot on opposite sides of a practice arena.

"Ponyta, I choose you!" announced the southern-style Coordinator, tossing his black poke'ball; the fiery horse appeared on the field, its diamond-massacring hooves pawing at the air as it whinnied.

"Go, Roselia!" Drew cried, pitching his own poke'ball. Roselia elegantly danced onto the field, its roses held high and proud.

"A Roselia? You must be battier than a right-side-up Zubat to battle a fire-type with a grass-type!" Randal snickered.

"We'll see," Drew replied, a small smirk curving his lips as the battle began.

"We'll get this rollin'! Ponyta, use flamethrower!" commanded Randal. The horse spat orange flames from its snout, and they sped for Roselia.

"Solarbeam, now!" Drew directed and, with unbelievable speed, Roselia shot the sunlit beam from its roses; the two forces collided and a large puff of smoke smoldered the field, hiding the Poke'mon from view. Then, Ponyta saw Roselia lunge at it through the haze. "Poison sting!" ordered Drew, and his Poke'mon launched the sharp barbs at the horse, nailing it square in the knees. Ponyta whinnied loudly in pain and fell to its front knees.

"Wha?" gasped its owner.

"Knock out a Ponyta's strong legs and its through!" Drew explained conceitedly. Randal grumbled something irritably under his breath, then shouted.

"Fire blast attack!" The Ponyta let the star-shaped burst of fire erupt from its mouth.

"Roselia, dodge it!" Drew instructed, but the grass Poke'mon just wasn't fast enough. It was blasted by the huge flames and when they cleared, the green-haired boy could see his singed Roselia on its knees, panting.

"Ha! This battle's done wrapped up better than an Ekans!" snickered Randal, but then saw the corner of Drew's lips tug upward.

"You wish," he smirked. "Synthesis!" And on command, calm, green mist surrounded Roselia and the faintest sparkles of sunlight appeared around the grass Poke'mon who was quickly back on its feet.

"_Rosrrr!" _it cried energetically. Drew saw the glare Randal shot him, but it was like feeding the lime-eyed boy's fire. Randal let a low growl rumble in his throat before letting out another order.

"Ponyta, overheat!" Still immobile on its knees, Ponyta let out a wave of powerful orange-and-yellow-fused flame. Then, a defiant light sparked in Drew's eyes.

"Shadow ball!" he shouted. Randal and Violet, who had been watching quietly on the sidelines, gasped as Roselia created a large sphere of shadows and fired it from its roses. The two attacks met, the flames of overheat curling around the shadow ball until a dark globe of combustion hovered over the field. "End this! Launch that sphere into Ponyta with another shadow ball!" Drew commanded. Roselia shot another black-magic orb, this one colliding with the fiery sphere, causing it to fly into the hopeless horse Poke'mon. It hit and exploded on contact, throwing Ponyta backwards and ending the battle.

"Looks like I win," the green-haired boy smirked, folding his arms over his chest.

"You - ! What - ! How - ?"

"Because I'm not a pretender," Drew cut him off smugly. "Now, admit your wrong and that those jokes aren't yours," he added.

"Hmph! So what if I didn't come up with 'em? What good has this all done?" the auburn-topped boy shot back, then turning and walking away rudely.

"Aw! Randal! Don't walk away like that!" pleaded a worry-faced Violet, taking a step in the southern-style Coordinator's direction.

"Forget him, Violet. He's nothing but a coward," Drew told her. Just then, Randal rounded on Drew, fist heading for his face and his teeth clenched tensely. Drew's eyes would've widened, had it not been for a certain call behind him.

"Ghost Ring, quick attack!" Drew heard Violet call right before a blur of black and yellow fur rushed past him, slamming his attacker to the ground.

"Violet?" the ground-based boy gasped as she came over and stood above him.

"I trusted you!" she frowned down at him, a pout evident on her pink lips. "And then you go and attack my best friend!"

Randal looked away shamefully before quickly jumping to his feet and running off, making sure not to meet anyone's eye on the way.

"Thanks…" Drew said softly, turning to Violet.

"Don't mention it," she shrugged, then noticed the golden rays glancing off her friend's face. She looked off into the horizon to see something dotting the sea line. It was an island with a large dome-shaped roof on a huge, centered building, much bigger than any of the other buildings on the island.

"That's Colored-crystal Station," Drew told her.

"Finally!" Violet sighed, making her traveling partner laugh a little.

"Tomorrow we'll board the S.S. Tidal," he continued.

"And go to Lilycove City for your next ribbon!" she grinned. Drew nodded and continued to look at Violet as the sea breeze ruffled her velvet hair. Then, out of no where, a huge crash came from beneath the ship, sending the entire boat rocking to the right.


	11. Chapter 11

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 11: _Storm Warriors_

The skies suddenly turned dark gray and rain began pouring down. That was when four gigantic, cerulean sea-monster Poke'mon shot up out of the water; the waves suddenly grew larger and the dragons whipped up huge, swirling gusts of wind that began closing in on the ship. The sea dragons splashed tsunamis onto the deck of the S.S. Anne, making it rock back and forth like a toy boat, while the winds began blowing passengers up into the air and off the vessel.

Drew reached for the first thing he could find, the railing on the side of the ship, and pulled Violet close to him so quick it almost was like it was an instinct.

"What's wrong with those Gyarados?" Violet cried over the roars of the storm and the enormous Poke'mon.

"Stay close and don't let go of me!" he ordered, ignoring her question.

"Drew, we've got to help! We've gotta stop those Gyarados!" she screamed, tossing a poke'ball. A flash of white light revealed her Absol; when it realized the strong-force winds that were whipping around and around, it dug its thick, iron claws through the wood of the deck for leverage. "White Fang, calm down these winds!" White Fang's horn began to glow bright white, and it tossed it's head, summoning miniature whirlwinds of its own. The smaller tornados began pulling the larger winds into their vortexes, slowing down the hurricane for only just a moment before the Gyarados turned towards the Absol. One reared back its head, then fired a golden ray at White Fang.

"'_Saul!" _it cried, countering the attack with a hyper beam of its own. The explosion from the two attacks nearly blew Drew and Violet off the side of the boat, but the grass-haired Coordinator just barely managed to keep his grip.

"We can't hold them off!" he exclaimed. "Call back White Fang!" Violet did as she was told and returned the Absol to its poke'ball. "Hold on!" Drew warned and let go of the railing. The result was him and Violet being thrown up into the air. "Flygon!" he called, tossing his poke'ball and releasing the dragon Poke'mon. It let out a cry and swooped by the two Coordinators; the two grabbed its lean, green neck as it flew by, fighting the weather.

Flygon had its head down and its claws pulled in as close to its chest as possible. Its wings beat furiously against the hurricane-force storm, and Drew could feel its muscles twitch beneath his arms and legs. But he hung tightly onto its neck, Violet's arms folded stringently around his own waist.

"Flygon can't fly in this weather!" he told her, having to scream to get the message across. He looked at her over his shoulder, her mauve hair billowing crazily around her face and her eyes glossy with terror-induced tears. Suddenly, a Gyarados soared out of the water directly in front of where they had been flying. Between the screams of Flygon and Violet, Drew's ear drums were ready to burst. The sea dragon let loose a powerful hyper beam, to which Flygon countered with one of its own. But when they thought they were in the clear, another shining ray, shot from a second Gyarados no doubt, rushed at them from out of no where. Flygon didn't have time to dodge the second attack and was thrown back with a pain-ridden cry; the two teens were thrown off its back, Violet's shrill, terrified shriek ringing in Drew's ears as they fell into the stormy ocean current.

He slowly faded into consciousness. His head was pounding and his entire body seemed numb with cold. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, but the sudden burst of light made him cringe them shut again and only added to his headache. After a few moments, he tried again and, this time, shielded his eyes with his hand. The brightness hadn't been from the sun, but rather from whiteness. He forced himself to a sitting position and looked around. Nothing but thick, white walls of ice surrounded him. Numerous tunnels led in and out and a medium-sized pool lay beside him, undoubtedly leading back into the ocean. He was in an underwater ice cavern.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably; he must've swallowed a lot of salt water. His clothes were still soaked and the combination of that and the icy chill in the air made him feel as if he was about to freeze on the spot. He took a deep breath, but the frozen air burned his lungs and made him cough, his breath coming out in small, white puffs. Tugging his legs up to his chest, he rested his forehead against his knees. His drenched clothes offered no warmth. Then, a thought occurred to him and his head shot up. He jumped to his feet and did a 360 scan of the environment, but didn't find what he was looking for.

"V-violet!" he called out. His voice was surprisingly unsteady; whether or not this was from shock or cold he wasn't sure. He received no answer. "Violet!" he cried out again, still getting no reply. He growled to himself, and then blinked, thinking of something else. He pulled a particular poke'ball from his waist and pressed the little, white button in the center. It popped open, but no light came out; the poke'ball was empty and his Flygon was missing. He sighed loudly, putting the poke'ball away. His limbs twitched as he pushed himself to his feet. He ran his hands up and down his arms rapidly and then breathed in his palms. "I've got to find her …" he muttered under his breath, glancing around the cave. Looking ahead of him, he saw the closest of the tunnels. He slipped into it; the passageway was so narrow that both of his shoulders brushed against the walls on either side of him.

The tunnel was long, and Drew soon found himself on a sort of auto-pilot as he pressed himself onward. His mind began to drift off. Thoughts Violet swarmed his head. He thought about the first time he saw her without her cloak back in Poke'mon Tower when a ghost Poke'mon's attack caused her to slam into him. He thought about rescuing her from the clutches of Team Rocket in Saffron City; she had cost him another ribbon, but he remembered looking down at her, all tied up and helpless. He thought about the Flower Festival that she had dragged him too, walking through the garden with her, stealing chunks of her cotton candy, and his irritation when she wasn't at his first battle in the Flower Power Tournament. He thought about her brief disappearance in Vermillion City, and all the emotions that struck him when he found out, a little anger, a lot of worry, some fear. Then he thought about finding her, and that moment where she stopped him in the middle of the street, the sea breeze blowing their hair, concern flashing in her amethyst eyes, and the warmth of her hand around his. He thought about her near-death experience at Cinnabar. Why had he gotten so angry? Was it because she got along so well with Harley? Was it because she just didn't listen to him? Was he just scared for her? He remembered pushing her out of the line of fire of that Growlithe's flamethrower, landing next to her on the debris-scattered ground with his arm slung around her, and looking down at her, their eyes meeting. He would never let her know it, but for a millisecond he forgot they were in danger. Then he thought about taking her back to their room on the S.S. Anne afterwards where he cleaned her burn. When she looked so intently at him, and then closed her eyes … had she really expected him to kiss her? He mentally scowled at himself. Finding a girlfriend wasn't on his agenda, nor was it his purpose in traveling with Violet. He didn't even like her company, let alone...her; he couldn't after only a couple weeks!

"_Then why am I in such a need to find her?" _he silently asked himself. _"Eh, I'd do it for anyone! I'm not heartless …" _he said convincingly in his mind.

He pushed himself out of the tight ice channel; now he was in another cavern that looked much like the first one except smaller and had a few tunnels leading out of it as well.

"These ice paths probably go on forever," he told himself (outloud this time). Suddenly, Drew heard a distant rumble, and the cave shook slightly. To his right, a large area of ice seemed to glow red. He looked at it curiously for a moment before blinking, and diving out of the way just in time to avoid being struck with the blast of flame that burst through the ice. After the steam cleared, the emerald-eyed boy looked in the direction the attack came from to see a muscular, aqua-colored dragon Poke'mon roaring triumphantly.

"Good job, Salamance," exclaimed a confident voice. Standing next to the Salamance, was a young man probably around Drew's age give or take a few years. He stood slightly taller than him and had shoulder-length chocolate hair held back by a red headband with a yellow poke'ball symbol on the front. He wore a hooded, red jacket with fish-net material connecting the sleeves to the torso. Black and red gloves covered his hands; they matched the color of his boots and belt, and light blue jeans swayed around his legs due to the icy wind whipping around the cavern. "Huh?" the boy blinked. His voice was a bit deeper than Drew's. "I didn't know anyone else was down here," he said, returning his dragon Poke'mon to its poke'ball.

"Same here," Drew nodded, shivering. The boy gave him a strange look.

"You're soaked! And it's freezing down here!" He crossed his arms. "Need help getting outta here?"

"That'd be nice," the Coordinator replied, his teeth clashing against each other as he shook. "But I've got to find a friend of mine first. Her and I ended up down here somehow and got separated," he explained.

"Ah. Well, that's unfortunate," said the brunette boy. "Problem is, when someone gets lost down here they're kinda hard to find! Sure you don't want to just go onto the island? I can take you there, and come back for your friend later."

"No," Drew growled. "I'm not leaving Violet down here …" Then, he walked on ahead as if to tell the boy he didn't need his help if he wanted to leave Violet down here.

"Hmph," Drew heard the boy grunt; he pivoted back to face him to see a wide smirk on his face and his arms still crossed. "I get it. Ok, mate, I'll help you rescue your girl." Drew narrowed his eyes.

"She's not m-my …" The grass-haired boy shook violently and took deep breaths; the cold was getting to him. The red-clad boy frowned.

"I'm Listor," he introduced.

"D-Drew…" stuttered the frozen teen.

Drew followed Listor through a few more tunnels; the older boy seemed to know his way around and Drew wasn't really in any condition to argue. Suddenly, a small cry sounded from somewhere within the cave. To the Coordinator's dismay, it sounded Poke'mon rather than human.

"That sounded like a Spheal. I say we go to it. Maybe it can help us find your girl," Listor suggested and took off in that direction. The grass-haired boy gave up on telling Listor that Violet wasn't "his girl", and instead focused all his energy on just keeping up with him.

Sure enough, past the next tunnel was a large group of Spheal, but it wasn't the ice Poke'mon that intrigued Drew the most; it was what was in the center of their crowd. There he saw a big, green dragon Poke'mon ; it was his Flygon, and it was curled around a lean form. Over the mass of emerald scales, he could just make out a mound of mauve hair. When he realized it wasn't moving, he swore that his heart stopped for a moment. Of course, he would never admit it.

Despite having issues keeping up with Listor a moment ago, Drew charged through the cluster of seal Poke'mon and clambered over Flygon's thick tail.

"Violet!" he cried, kneeling next to her. She had her arms around a tiny, cerulean-blue body. A small Vaporeon shook intensely against chest, its fin-like ears twitching weakly and its mermaid tail wrapped around its body for insignificant warmth.

The green-eyed boy, taking her by the chin, turned her face up towards him and held a hand in front of her mouth. He could just barely feel the warm puffs of breath; she was only unconscious.

"_Eiighhhh," _Flygon crooned, raising its head to look at its Coordinator with glinting eyes that glimmered beneath their ruby goggle-like coverings.

"R-Right, F-Flygon," Drew stammered. "T-Thanks for s-staying with V-Violet." Placing an arm beneath her neck and another under her knees, he managed to stand with Violet in his arms.

"Whoa, mate," Listor blinked, rushing to his side with outstretched hands. "You got her?"

Drew nodded weakly, stumbling over air as he trudged over to his dragon. He placed the plum-haired girl on its upper back, then scrambled on behind her and wrapped his arms securely around her body, holding onto Flygon's neck as it stood on all-four's.

"_Nya!" _came the tiny, meek cry from the Vaporeon. Listor trudged over to it, knelt, and felt around its neck before a frown distorted his lips.

"It's sick," he declared. "We can't leave it here." The brunette picked up the Eevee evolution in his arms and picked a poke'ball from the three at his waist to toss. The great, aqua dragon let out a mighty roar as it appeared from the sphere. Listor mounted the Salamance with the Vaporeon nestled securely between him and the dragon's shoulders.

"O-okay … H-how do we find a way out?" Drew asked, holding onto Violet tighter as he struggled for words. Listor smirked at him, his Poke'mon's mouth brimming with golden-orange flames.

"We make one," he replied.

"So, ya feeling any better, mate?" Listor asked Drew, handing him a mug of steaming liquid.

"No," the boy growled, pulling the blue blanket tighter around him and inhaling the heat from the cup. He took a hesitant sip and instantly felt the warmth seep into his body. Ah, the wonders of hot chocolate. He saw Listor cross his arms.

"No need to be grouchy, mate," the older boy said in a sterner voice. "I didn't freeze your girlfriend." Drew tried to sigh, but for some reason it came out as a deep grumble from his throat.

"She's not my girlfriend," he big back.

"HA!" Listor exclaimed suddenly, making Drew blink. "That's funny, 'cause you sure do act like it!" That's when the worry-clad face of Nurse Joy hurried up to them.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't seem to wake up your friend. Nothing's working!" she cried. Drew's heart sped up, or it slowed down drastically … He wasn't quite sure.

"Then do something! You're a nurse!" he glared at her. The cherry-haired woman frowned.

"We're a Poke'mon Center! Not a hospital!" she retorted, agitatation making her wrinkle her forehead.

"Then come on! We have to get her to a hospital then!" Listor announced, curling his hands into fists, ready for action.

"The nearest hospital is miles away! She's not stable enough to travel that far," Nurse Joy explained to them. The grass-topped Coordinator grit his teeth and glowered at the nurse. He was about to go off yelling at her when he heard the sliding doors to the Poke'mon Center open.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but over hear …" The voice belonged to a very elderly woman. Her face was badly wrinkled and she was shorter than Drew, her back drastically bent badly out of shape. Long gray hair was held into a bun, but most of it fell out and framed her face; it almost fell to the floor. She wore a bedraggled, purple dress that had a couple rips in it here and there. The garment trailed the floor so it hid her feet, but as she walked, Drew was sure he saw bare heels. "I believe I can help your friend." Drew's heart jumped again and his eyes widened slightly. He was almost sure it was out of surprise….almost sure.

"And just how is that?" he inquired suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"I am Rue," she replied with a wry smile; her teeth were yellow and rather crooked, making both Drew and Listor wince and take a step back.

"Oh, Rue! What are you doing here?" Nurse Joy sighed loudly, putting her hands on her hips. "There is no place here for your ridiculous herbal remedies! Those things don't even work anyways!" With that, the pink-topped woman pivoted and was about to stomp away. That was when Rue let out a raspy chuckle.

"You can't heal the Bubble Jet Poke'mon, can you?" asked the old lady, her voice carrying an all-knowing vibe in its soft sound waves. Nurse Joy stopped in her tracks and hesitantly looked over her shoulder.

"No …" she said quietly. Rue seemed to smirk slightly before turning and making her way back to the door. "Follow me. Bring the girl." Drew and Listor exchanged looks, but it was the emerald-eyed boy who nodded first.

Drew gently laid Violet down on the old cot. Pressing a hand to her forehead, he clenched his other hand into a fist; she was burning up, but at least she was breathing. Rue walked in the tiny room behind him, carrying a glass jar full of some strange item and putting it on a nearby shelf with countless other oddities.

The old medicine woman's "house" was more like a shack and had only two rooms. The front was nothing but shelves, boxes, and crates of herbs and strange objects. The back room had the small, almost broken, bed, a stove, and even more weird objects.

"Cover her up," Rue told him, slowly turning to face them.

"She has a fever," Drew told her in a matter-of-fact tone. Rue nodded.

"She must sweat it out," she retorted, reaching for the quilt at the foot of the bed. When she got closer to Violet, the boy snatched it from her, narrowly missing being cut by one of her outrageously long, craggily fingernails. Shooting her an angry look, he pulled the hand-knit blanket over the mauve-haired girl and sighed. The old woman smiled.

"Good," she nodded and stepped into the front room. Drew followed her to see Listor leaning against the door-less entrance, holding the dangling beads to the side with his head and a shoulder. He gave Drew a subtle acknowledgement, indicating for him to come over. The Coordinator did so and leaned against the wall next to him.

"You sure this was a good idea, mate? I mean, this old hag is -"

"Strange, I know. But Nurse Joy isn't going to do anything, now is she?" Drew cut him off.

Bored as Rue stood to one side of the room collecting random objects in a bowl, Drew took a look at the commodities that decorated her shelves. What looked like a jar of grape juice was labeled "Arbok Venom", making Drew gulp. Another glass was filled to the brim with what appeared to be just lumps of rock, but upon closer examination, he noticed the sticker that read "Rhyhorn Horns". On another shelf was an open Stantler skin- sack filled with a fine, lime-colored powder. The boy neared it and took a tiny whiff, then staggered with a sudden dizziness. He took a few steps back and shook his head, blinking a few times. "Sleep Powder" it said on the tag. After that, Drew quickly returned to his position next to Listor.

That's when he heard a murmur from the old lady that sounded along the lines of "Tut, tut, tut." He blinked.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as she picked up an empty, glass jar and shook her head. In the bottom of the container, a few dusty, white remainders were visible, but it was nothing but an ounce or two of powder.

"Seadra bones," she uttered quietly. "I'm out." Drew's eyebrows furrowed.

"Do you need them?" he questioned, crossing his arms.

"Oh, most certainly. It's a key ingredi-" Before she had finished her statement, the green-haired boy was already out the doorway.

"Drew!" Listor called after him. He found the young Coordinator at the nearest edge of the island. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm going to go find some Seadra bones," he replied in a melancholy tone, pulling a poke'ball from his waist. From it, he released his Flygon and clambered onto its back without a word.

"Well," Listor sighed, tossing his own capsule to reveal his Salamance. "There's no way I'm letting you go back down there alone, mate," he said with a grin and leapt atop his dragon, giving Drew a thumbs-up.

The two took to the air, their Poke'mon circling around the island until they spotted the entrance to the underground ice-cave.

"Down there!" Drew pointed to Listor, who was hovering about twenty yards or so away, and then directed Flygon to glide down to the rocks. "Flygon, return," he ordered, returning the green dragon to its poke'ball as Listor landed next to him and did the same with his Salamance.

"Eh," the older boy grumbled. "I just saved you from this place, and you want to go back?" Drew shot him an evil glare before trudging into the cave.

"Where now?" Listor asked, looking back and forth. He received a cynical look from his companion.

"Aren't you supposed to be the explorer here?" Drew said. "Anyway, we should probably be looking around the pools of water."

Of course, finding a pool was the tough part. The two wondered through the narrow ice caverns for what seemed like the longest time. At one point, Drew was sure his frostbite had returned. Nonetheless, that was the least of his worries. His top priority at that moment was finding a sufficient supply of Seadra bones.

When they finally neared a small pool of water, undoubtedly leading to the ocean, the two boys kneeled beside it.

"No sign of anything," Listor frowned.

"Ye-" Drew cut himself off as his hand ran over the ground, or (specifically) what was on it. He felt a fine powder coating his fingers and looked to find it was white. There was a definite trail of the stuff, which Drew was obliged to follow. He tracked it around the pool and behind a rock. There, wedged between the stone and the ice-wall, was a couple of nice-sized bones. They were sharp and shaped like fins, obviously those of a Seadra. A slight grin on his face, he grabbed the bones and wrenched them from their position.

"Found them," he told his companion who smiled widely back at him.

"Right on," he grinned. "Let's get back to -"

"Ssh," Drew ordered, holding up a hand. Listor shot him a strange look. The emerald-eyed boy pointed towards the pool of water, its surface rippling. Suddenly, a tall, blue-scaled sea dragon shot up out of the water, letting loose a ear-splitting roar. The force of its appearance knocked the two boys back and to the ground.

"Not again," groaned the green-haired boy. "Go, Roselia!" he announced, pitching his poke'ball. The little, rose-bearing Poke'mon appeared, its thorns poised for battle.

"Do it too it, Dragonite!" called out the brunette boy, throwing his poke'ball and, from its contents, summoning the pumpkin-colored dragon who bellowed proudly as it appeared.

The Gyarados howled loudly and shot a jet of water at its opponents.

"Thunder!" Listor ordered. The dragon-type blasted the bolt of lighting towards the Gyarados' hydro pump, the two attacks colliding for a moment before the electricity shot busted the stream of water and went on to hit the water/flying-type hybrid straight on, lighting it up with a bright, yellow glow.

"Magical Leaf!" Drew directed.

"_Roossssrrrr!" _his Poke'mon cried, spinning quickly and sending color-changing leaves up into the air which then swirled their way around Dragonite's electric attack and homed in on the Gyarados. It roared angrily before twisting its way out of the electric shock and shooting a ray of golden light at its adversaries.

"Match it with your own hyper beam!" exclaimed the brunette boy, to which his Poke'mon obliged by firing the ray of bright energy. The two attacks collided head on resulting in a small burst of energy and a cover of smoke. "Drew, get out of here with those bones! I'll hold it off!" Without arguing, Drew returned Roselia to its poke'ball and raced back through the tunnels. Having had noted all the twists and turns on the way down here, he easily made his way back to the entrance. As he ran out of the cave, he tossed his poke'ball, revealing Flygon, and jumped on its back then directed it to take to the air. Just as he got about fifty or so yards from it, he saw the entrance to the cave erupt into a small explosion and his eyes went slightly wide. Then, from the smoke, he saw Listor zoom out atop Salamance. Drew let a wry smile curve his lips as his companion flew up next to him.

"What about that Gyarados? Did you beat it?" he asked.

"Did I ever!" Listor smirked, twirling a poke'ball on his pointer finger.

Drew watched patiently as Rue administered the medicine to Violet. He appeared very calm, propped against the wall with his arms crossed, but he was actually about to have a coronary; although, he would never admit it.

"Nothing to do now but wait," the old lady said, placing Violet's head back down on the pillow and removing the cup from her lips. "She should wake momentarily." She walked out the room in favor of the front room. Drew thought he heard her say something about a Vaporeon and then hand another glass to Listor.

Wondering if he'd be heard, he took the couple steps to the young, female Coordinator's bedside. He gently brushed a lock of her mauve hair from her eyes, then almost had his heart jump out of his chest when he saw her eyes flicker open. But then, he quickly recovered and smirked down at her.

"Just how many times do I have to save you?"


	12. Chapter 12

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 12: _Coordinator's Corner_

"But I wanna - ahh … ahh… CHOO!"" Violet sneezed, flinching as her face scrunched up cutely.

"The S.S. Tidal will be here at noon," Drew told her.

"Which is why I want to explore the island before we have to leave!" the mauve-haired girl complained, stomping a foot.

"No," the grass-topped Coordinator said sternly. "Besides, you're still - "

"Ah - CHOO!" Violet cut him off.

"- sick," he smirked, chuckling slightly.

"Chill, Vi," Listor exclaimed, dangling his head down from the top bunk to look at her. "You can do all the exploring you want aboard the ship. It's huge!"

"Wow!" Violet sighed, her eyes shining anxiously. "You've been on the S.S. Tidal?"

"Yeah," the brunette said proudly, examining his knuckles and brushing them against his scarlet shirt. "I've been everywhere between here and the Fiore Region."

"Impressive!" the girl giggled, making Drew roll his eyes. That's when a small shuffle from behind made him quickly turn around. He swore he had heard something somewhere around his bag.

"What is it, Drew?" Violet asked.

"Mate, did your bag just MOVE?" the explorer asked curiously, an eyebrow raised. Drew inspected his knapsack carefully, then shrugged and slung it over his shoulder.

After the group of Poke'mon Owners had left the Poke'mon Center and were only a few yards away, did a scratchy call from behind make them pivot in the opposite direction. The old medicine woman, Rue, was struggling her way past the Center and hobbling in their direction with a shiny object dangling in her hands. Violet was the first to rush up to her.

"Oh, Ms. Rue! Be careful!" she said worryingly, coming up to the old woman's side as she took a few deep breaths.

"I had to bring you this before you left," the gray-haired woman explained, holding up the object in her hand. Hanging from a thick, black string was a shining, scarlet pendent incased in a silver base. The way the sun was hitting it ever so slightly seemed to give it a special glow. "It will ward off evil spirits and bad fortune," the old woman explained with a smile, putting the necklace over Violet's head. Behind the mauve-topped girl, Listor grinned a bit as Drew rolled his eyes.

The foghorn sounded loudly as the S.S. Tidal pulled out of its port at the Colored Crystal Station, the nose of the ship pointed towards the setting sun. Meanwhile, Drew, Violet, and Listor stood against the railing at the back of the ship, watching the checkpoint between Kanto and Hoenn fade into the horizon. Just then, a tiny mewling noise reached their ears.

"What was that?" Violet asked, her head turning this way and that to find the source of the sound.

"Mate, it's your bag again! Look!" the brunette explorer exclaimed, pointing at Drew's knapsack as it wriggled at the green-haired boy's feet. Drew looked at it, wary, and nudged it with his shoe, but this only succeeded in causing more wiggling. That's when another mew rung from the carrying bag. Suddenly, a blur of cerulean blue lept from the bag at Drew, throwing itself in his arms and nuzzling the underside of his chin. Showing its teeth in a happy grin, was the small Vaporeon they had rescued from the ice cavern back on the island.

"_Nya," _it crooned, nuzzling Drew's cheek.

"Aww!" Violet squealed. "How cccuuuutttte!" The green-haired boy flashed her a slightly annoyed look as she continued to giggle and he heard Listor laugh.

"I guess it knows you saved its life," the brunette deduced. "I think it wants to go with you." Drew looked down at the Poke'mon in his arms and sighed.

"Well?" he asked. "Do you?" It nodded quickly, the fins around its neck sparkling slightly as the setting sun struck them. The young Coordinator couldn't help but smile. "Okay," he gave in, pulling a spare poke'ball from his bag, and tapped the Vaporeon's forehead. In a flash of red light, the bubble jet Poke'mon disappeared into the capsule. The button beeped once and then was quiet. The mauve-topped girl grinned widely.

"Looks like you caught a Vaporeon, Drew!" she exclaimed. He rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha," he said sarcastically, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder as he began making his way towards the elevator.

"Strange day, ain't it?" Violet thought outloud the following day as she and Drew starred out the café window. A light drizzle of rain covered the deck of the S.S. Tidal; despite this, the sun was hot, high, and bright. The two sat, eating their breakfast. Violet, having once again proven that her eyes were bigger than her stomach, was pouring an ocean of syrup onto her stack of waffles.

"Yeah," Drew answered carelessly, flipping through a pamphlet as he chewed on a bite of toast.

"Where'd you get that?" the mauve-haired girl asked, popping a large piece of berry in her mouth.

"Lobby," he replied in a monotone without looking up from the pages.

"Lilycove City Poke'mon Contest," the female Coordinator read, turning her head at an awkward angle in order to read upside down. Then, she saw Drew suddenly toss the brochure across the table. "What's up?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Lilycove Contest is a Doubles' Contest!" he grumbled.

"A what?" she squeaked, confused.

"You need a partner to compete," he sighed in a frustrated tone.

"Oh," Violet grunted. "Then … you have nothing to worry about!" She grinned widely, taking a shark-sized bite out of her waffle.

"And how do you figure that?" he inquired, resting his head against his knuckles as he flashed her an un-amused look.

"I'll be your partner," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and shot him a wide smile. He shook his head.

"You need at least two ribbons to compete," he explained.

"But … I have five," she reminded him with a puzzled frown.

"No," he corrected her, leaning forward on his arms and smirking slightly. "_Shadow_ has five ribbons. You just follow me around like a shadow. Besides, you left your cloak in Lavender Town."

"So," she shrugged. "I'll get a new cloak." Drew rolled his eyes at her persistence.

"Whatever," he sighed, once again propping his head up on his arm and stuffing a strip of bacon into his mouth so he wouldn't have to say anything else.

"Yo!" came the call as the brunette, scarlet-clad boy rushed through the doors of the café. "You guys have got to come check out the training gym!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Ok," Vi grinned, swallowing a mouthful of food.

On their way to the training gym, they passed a small shop and just the site of it stopped Violet in her tracks.

"Awwww! How cute!" she cooed, her purple eyes dazzling with excitement.

"Coordinator's Corner," Drew read the front of the sign. "Everything the top Coordinator needs and more." He rolled his eyes at the cliché slogan. The inside of the shop was painted a hot pink and tons of merchandise lined the shelves.

"Hi there!" exclaimed the bright, happy voice, a wide-eyed girl popping up in front of Violet who jumped about five feet in the air. Once she could, she got a good look at her frightener. The girl had scruffy, pink hair held back by a lavender and yellow band wrapped around her forehead and royal blue eyes. She wore a white top with a red tie and a navy blue skirt. "Hello," she waved.

"Why'd you do that?" gasped the dark-haired girl, hugging herself slightly.

"Oh! Sorry about that," the other girl apologized.

"Forget it. We were just leaving," the grass-haired Coordinator told her, turning to leave the shop.

"No! No! Please don't go!" the girl begged, rushing to stand between Drew and the exit. He gave her a strange look.

"Who are you?" he asked in a rude timbre. "I'm Kaysee Sellsome from Floaroma Town!" she introduced proudly, thumbing at herself. "And I own Coordinator's Corner!"

"Oh, really?" Drew smirked at her. "Then just where are your employees?"

"Just look around!" she replied with a grin. For the first time, Drew and Violet noticed the Poke'mon fluttering around the store. A well-groomed Lopunny was dusting some shelves in a far corner and a tiny Pichu was trying to arrange some boxes nearby but was way to small for the job because the containers were at least three times it size. A Glameow also snoozed on the back counter, probably neglecting one of its duties. "I've also got a Pidgeotto, but its off running errands for me at the moment," Kaysee added.

"Aww! Adorable!" Violet cried, scooping the Pichu up in her arms.

"_Cchhhuuuu!" _it squealed in surprise, letting out a volt of electricity that lit Violet up like a Christmas tree. Then, smoking, the mauve-haired girl dropped the little mouse Poke'mon.

"Wow … He's got a shocking personality …" she sighed and sunk to the floor. Drew rolled his eyes while Kaysee laughed awkwardly.

"Again," she giggled. "Sorry!"

"What are these?" Drew asked, looking over at clear spheres about the size of poke'balls. They were placed in square cases that were stacked up on each other in the form of a pyramid. One un-packed sphere stood out at the top.

"Those are ball capsules," the cherry-haired girl replied. "But they're not selling very well. Hardly anyone here even knows what they are!"

"Can't really say I do either," he said bluntly.

"You put them on your poke'balls, along with a seal, and they create effects when your Poke'mon are released," she explained. "They're a Sinnoh Region invention. That's why few people in Kanto and Hoenn have ever heard of them."

"Hmm," Drew hummed thoughtfully, picking it up and examining the round object. "Can you give us a demonstration?"

"Sure," she grinned, taking the capsule from him.

"Here," Violet peeped, shooting up from her position on the floor. "Use one of my Poke'mon," she offered and handed Kaysee Ghost Ring's poke'ball.

"Ok. Which seal do you wanna see?" she asked, showing them a case of colorful seals.

"How about 'mist'?" the mauve-topped girl suggested. Kaysee nodded and placed the poke'ball in the capsule, then stuck the circular, white sticker on the front.

"Ready?" she grinned and gave the ball a little toss. It opened and fog seeped out the sphere, spreading throughout the room; then, Ghost Ring slowly stepped through the mist, tilting its head slightly in confusion.

"Awesome!" Violet squealed.

"Impressive," Drew complimented, crossing his arms. The two Coordinators looked at each other as if reading the other's mind. "Kaysee?" the boy asked. "How much for a set of capsules and seals?"

"Vaporeon, blizzard!" Drew ordered.

"_Nya!" _the Bubble Jet Poke'mon cried, flexing its fins and raising its head high. It summoned a gust of snow which swirled around the training room. White tufts tumbled through the air and began gathering on the ground.

"Now Ghost Ring, use moonlight!" exclaimed Violet.

"_Umbre'!" _grunted the Umbreon, arching its spine as a large, silver moon appeared over its head and shone brightly through the falling snow, turning the white ground a brilliant silver.

"Yeah!" the mauve-haired girl shouted, punching the air. "That's gonna look GREAT in the Contest!"

"Eh," Drew broke in, stopping her celebration. A slight smirk curved his lips. "I think moonlight's timing is off." Violet blinked.

"No way!" she scolded. "Quit teasing my Poke'mon!"

"Who said anything about your Poke'mon?" the green-haired boy shot back, a full smirk gracing his features now. He flicked his bangs, giving her a mocking stare. The amethyst-eyed girl looked at him for a moment, then shared a knowing glance with the two Eevee-evolutions who then decide to shoot mischief looks at the male Coordinator.

"Get him!" Violet commanded as the three lunged at him. Drew blinked rapidly in surprise, but he didn't have a moment to leap away; the three were just to fast, and tackled him to the ground. The Vaporeon and Umbreon sat with their full weight on his arms, seeming to smirk widely to themselves, as the plum-topped girl straddled his waist and mercilessly tickled his sides.

"H-Hey!" he cried. "Knock … ! It .. Off!" Drew couldn't help it; he laughed outloud and tried to kick his way free, only to fail miserably.

"You brought this on yourself!" his companion giggled evilly.

"Hey guys," came the calm voice from behind. The two Coordinator's looked up to see Listor leaning against the doorway to the training gym, his arms folded and a small smirk on his face. "What's up?" Drew blushed slightly, realizing his current position; Violet didn't seem to notice.

"Practicing," Violet smiled widely, holding her sitting position on Drew's waist.

"Uh-huh," Listor snickered. "Sure looks like it!"

"Mind getting off?" Drew asked, adding a hint of sharpness to his voice and shooting Violet a warning glance. With a chuckle, the girl hopped off him. "Thank you," he muttered, brushing himself off. The two Eevee-evolutions on the floor exchanged amused looks.

"There's a Dragon Poke'mon convention up on deck eight. Thought you'd like to come, Drew," Listor said. "But you look busy." With that, Drew saw the brunette boy give him a subtle wink and his cheeks instantly turned apple-red.

"Uh, no," the lime-haired boy almost stuttered, looking away. "I'll go." He returned his Vaporeon to its poke'ball. "Coming Violet?" he asked, eager to change the subject.

"No thanks," she smiled, shaking her head. "I promised Kaysee I'd go by the shop."

Violet flipped the tiny switch on the back of the Poke'block case, the tiny, cubical candy popping out into her hand.

"Here ya go, Ghost Ring," she grinned, feeding the blue candy to her Umbreon. It nibbled it out of her hand and chewed happily.

"You better pay for that," came a teasing voice from behind. Violet giggled as she turned around to see Kaysee, her arms crossed.

"Sorry!" the mauve-haired girl laughed.

"Eh," the other girl shrugged. "Forget about it. Have a look around." Violet slowly walked through the rows and shelves of supplies. She picked up a silver, silk scarf from a hanger on the wall and felt the softness in her hands, pressing her cheek to it.

"How pretty! Ghost Ring, look!" she cried, holding it up for her Poke'mon to see.

"_Umbre'!" _it cried, twitching its ears, then running to the other side of the shop. Violet tilted her head slightly and followed it. _"Umbre'!" _it growled again and nudged a piece of clothing hanging from the ceiling in the back corner. Violet's eyes widened slightly as she looked up to see familiar, long, black cloaks dangling from the ceiling.

"You sell m- I mean - Shadow's cloaks!" stammered the mauve-haired Coordinator. Kaysee shot her a strange look.

"Yeah," she replied. "That girl's the talk of the Contest world! Fans began demanding cloaks!" Violet looked back at the garments, turned her head sideways, and smirked ever so slightly.


	13. Chapter 13

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 13: _A High-Class Imposter_

"You bought a Shadow cloak?" Drew growled. "What the heck were you thinking?"

"What?" his purple-haired companion squeaked. "I need a new cloak." The male Coordinator sighed loudly, dropping onto his bed in their room aboard the S.S. Tidal and holding his forehead.

"That is ABOVE suspicious, Violet!" he groaned, not looking at her. "Do you want the world to know who you are?" The girl looked down, a pout evident on her face.

"No," she uttered quietly.

"Alright then," Drew said sternly. "No more stunts like this then." Violet looked up at him and nodded, frowning. He caught her eye and sighed, running a hand through his hair. Then, he looked out the porthole in their state room. Only blackness greeted his eyes. "It's late," he said in a softer tone. "Go to sleep." Without a word, Violet stripped her socks off her feet, swung her legs up onto the bed, and pulled the covers over her shoulders, turning her face to the wall and away from Drew. The mint-topped boy exhaled loudly. "What am I going to do with you?" he muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. He removed his own socks and lavender jacket, then crawled into his own bed. He turned towards the wall adjacent to his bed, so he wouldn't have to watch the rise and fall of Violet's body as she slept. He pressed his head deep into his pillow and closed his eyes, but it was a long time before he fell asleep.

The plum-topped girl straddled his waist and mercilessly tickled his sides.

"H-Hey!" he cried. "Knock … ! It .. Off!" Drew couldn't help it; he laughed outloud and tried to kick his way free, only to fail miserably.

"You brought this on yourself!" his companion giggled evilly.

"Guess I'll just have to get you back then!" the boy grinned back at her, his eyes narrowing and his smile slightly on the mischief side. He smirked up at her, locking their eyes, and making her instantly freeze her teasing. She starred down at him in slight confusion. Then, with one quick movement, Drew heaved her off of him and pushed her to the floor, hovering above her with his hands on either side of her head. She looked up at him, giggling just a bit. The young Coordinator tilted his head at her smile, and for some reason smiled a bit himself. Without warning, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

Drew's eyes flew open immediately and his heart forgot to beat for a moment. He blinked a few times and took a handful of deep breaths. After these, his heart was still beating faster than he would like and he began telling himself things in his mind in an attempt to calm himself down.

Calm down. It was nothing more than a dream. You do NOT have feelings for her.

It wasn't working. Instead, he tried lying to himself.

You did NOT just have a dream about kissing Vi -

"MORNING DREW-BEY!" came the very loud greeting as the hyper, mauve-topped girl leapt atop him, jumping up and down on him a little. This didn't help his heart rate, but he was used to this sort of thing by now so he wasn't surprised all that much. But suddenly, his throat became rather dry and he had to swallow to regain his ability to speak.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" he growled, glaring up at the female Coordinator who was now straddling his waist and poking his chest.

"Only a lot," she giggled. "C'mon! It's morning! Up and a'tem!"

"Kinda hard to do with you sitting on me," the boy said in a monotone, but he couldn't force himself to hide his smirk.

"Fine," Violet pouted and clambered off of him and his bed.

After the two were properly awake and dressed, Drew led them up to the Food Deck and into the breakfast café where Kaysee and Listor were already sitting at a booth, waiting for them. The pair quickly grabbed their food and met them at the table, Drew taking a seat next to Listor as Violet slid in with Kaysee.

"Morning, guys!" greeted the shop-owner. "Sleep well?"

"Yeppers!" Violet nodded happily, taking a large bite of pancakes. Drew merely grunted and shrugged in response, thoughts of his dream flooding his memory.

"Anyways," Listor chuckled. "Guess whose excited?" He subtly ushered towards Kaysee who was grinning from ear-to-ear. She pressed a flier to the table with the words, "Ocean Day Ball" running across the top. Drew raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. So, they're having a celebration for a holiday that is barely even celebrated?" he said in an apathetic tone.

"Well, yeah," the pink-haired girl shrugged. "But that's not the awesome part!" With that, she pointed to a picture of a gentle-faced, young woman (maybe mid - 20's, Drew guessed) with long, ebony hair pulled back into a bun and wearing an elegant, wine-colored ball gown. "Irene is gonna be there!" she squealed, holding the piece of paper to her chest happily.

"Mrohw mirmwhf -" mumbled Violet, her mouth packed full of food.

"What have I told you about talking with your mouth full?" Drew scolded, raising an eyebrow at her and cutting her off. She swallowed with a loud 'gulp'.

"Whose Irene?" she asked, turning her head slightly. Kaysee opened her mouth to answer, but Drew beat her to it.

"She's a famous Poke'mon Breeder," he explained.

"Not just famous!" Kaysee corrected with delight. "She's world-renowned! She is without a doubt the best woman to ever walk the face of the planet! She. Is. My. Idol!" The scarlet-clad explorer laughed loudly at her.

"Excited enough there, Kay?" he teased.

The green-haired boy rolled his eyes at the shop-owner's infatuation. He highly doubted Irene was the best woman in the world. Surely greater woman had walked the planet? His eyes seemed to drift to Violet on their own, but when he realized who he was looking at, he shook his head a bit and self-consciously looked down at his food.

"Well, I'm happy enough for ya. But how are you going to meet her? The party is an invite-only celebration," Listor went on in a matter-of-fact way.

"That's just it! I DO have an invite!" Kaysee grinned widely. "Well… sort of. Technically, I'm part of the staff on the ship, and I'm one of the few that are free this evening. So they asked me to be a server at the party," she explained, a sweat drop on the side of her face, but a large smile also evident nonetheless. "Anyways," she continued. "I can bring friends, so I want all of you guys to come!" Drew blinked at this.

"Whoa. Hold on. I'm not going to some high-maintenance, stuffy party full of stiff-necked, shallow, stuck-up, rich people! Especially not when I could be training!"

"Aw, c'mon, mate!" Listor said, nudging his shoulder with an elbow. "Live a little. Besides, they can't all be that bad." Drew groaned quietly.

"Even so, it's formal. Do I look like I'm the kind of guy to carry a tux around?" His face turned an ever so slight shade of red as Violet giggled at him.

"I'll buy you all formals from the shopping deck. No catch! Please?" Kaysee begged, locking her hands together and flashing Drew the classic puppy-dog eyes.

"Pplllleeeeeaaassee, Drew?" Violet whined, doing the same as her friend. The grass-haired Coordinator blinked.

"You want to go, Violet?" he asked in some sort of disbelief.

"Yeah!" she nodded rapidly. "It could be fun!" Drew grumbled and rolled his shoulders. Then, with much effort he responded.

"Ooh… Fine!"

"Where are the girls again?" the young Coordinator asked, fumbling with a lavender-colored bow-tie around his neck.

"Chill, mate," Listor sighed, flipping out the collar on his tux. "I swear, you won't get two feet from that chick! The way you act, you'd think you two had something going on!" Drew shot the explorer an evil glare which only resulted in making the brunette laugh. With a sigh, the grass-topped boy looked at him and his friend in the bathroom mirror of his and Violet's state room.

"We look like a couple of twin penguins," he pointed out bluntly.

"No we don't!" Listor chuckled, shoving Drew slightly. "Lighten up." His only response was an eye roll. "The girls should be back from Kaysee's room any min-" A knock on the door cut him off. "See?" he chortled. "Right on time." The two boys stepped out of the bathroom as Listor opened the door to the room. Kaysee was the first to come in.

She had removed her hand-band and her hair seemed even more fluffy than usual. She wore a burgundy blouse and a black, velvet skirt that stopped half way down her legs. The color of her open-toe, high-heel sandals was the same as her top, and she wore a string of pearls around her neck. Personally, Drew thought she dressed a little too mature; the outfit looked like something his mother would wear.

Following Kaysee in, was Violet. The emerald-eyed boy almost had to do a double take, and his astonishment made him take a step backwards. A black, silk dressed stopped just above Violet's knees, and it had two-inch straps on her shoulders. Hot-pink material (satin, it seemed) wrapped around her upper arms and waist, which turned into a bow that was held in place by a golden, poke'ball-shaped pin. Fluffy ruffles of the same color were visible around the bottom edge of the dress which was spoofed out slightly at the bottom. She wore black Mary-Jane's on her feet with straps wrapping around her ankles. Almost all of the wave had been brushed out of her hair, and two locks of hair that framed her face had been dyed a different color. The right strand was a fuchsia-purple mix, and the other one was a mint-green.

Drew was almost sure he was starring; he tried looking away at least a dozen times and only partially succeeded. She stood before him with her hands clasped in her front, smiling brightly.

"What do you think?" she asked innocently, turning her head at him in that cute way that she does. The grass-haired boy looked at her for a moment, gathered his thoughts, then frowned as he took a step closer to her. Raising a hand, he brushed the fuchsia-colored strand of her hair to the side.

"You dyed your hair," he said quietly, not meeting her eyes. "Quite a shame." The amethyst-eyed girl's face turned a bit flushed, but she looked at her feet and mimicked his frown.

"Oh. Sorry," she muttered under her breath. Drew almost felt a pang of guilt for a moment.

"You look …" he began, his breath getting caught in his throat as she looked up to meet his eyes. She blinked at him, silently asking for him to complete the statement. "… nice," he finished with some effort, letting a smile grace his lips. Instantly, Violet's typical grin reappeared on her face.

"Thank you!" she beamed back at him. Behind the two Coordinator's, the shopkeeper and explorer exchanged amused looks.

The four of them made their way into the ball room, all feeling kind of out-of-place.

"See? Told you. A bunch of old stiffs," Drew whispered to his companions. He was right unfortunately; the "party" was mostly comprised of elderly men and woman with their noses stuck in the air.

"Well, sorry you guys, but I have to go start serving. I'll come check on you later, kay?" Kaysee grinned and trotted off towards the back.

"Whoo," Drew muttered in a sarcastic tone, making Listor roll his eyes. Violet, on the other hand, giggled. Just then, a tall, chocolate-color haired, young man approached the group of teens. Drew's eyes looked him over in a flash. He had to be at least three or four years older than them, but probably not much more. He politely smiled at Violet, bowed, and held out his hand.

"May I ask for a dance?" he requested, a gentleman's smile on his lips. The grass-topped boy noticed a slight blush appear on Violet's cheeks as she giggled, nodded, and took his hand as he guided her out to the dance floor. He let out a deep-throated growl.

"Mate, you can't glare daggers at people! Trust me, I've tried," the explorer told him, smirking at his friend's expression as he watched the older boy walk away with his traveling companion. Drew didn't even bother looking his way, making Listor sigh. "Okay, how about we go get a drink?" he suggested, pushing his friend towards the punch bowl.

The two settled themselves against the wall in a corner of the large ball room. Drew leaned his full weight on the extravagantly-decorated wallpaper, propping a foot up on it as well, his arms crossed. Listor attempted to talk to him about the average stuff (training, dragon Poke'mon, contests, traveling plans, etc.) but Drew would only grunt in response while he watched the youngest male inhabitants of the party trade Violet off as they danced across floor. The dragon-trainer noticed his friend clench his fist and put a hand on his shoulder, smirking.

"Ya know, there is such a thing as cutting in," he told him, smiling slyly. Drew blinked. Him? Dance with Violet? He wouldn't have any toes left! He huffed.

"I don't think so," he said quietly.

"Then quit sulking about her dancing with the other guys!" Listor glared at him, shoving him a bit, but not hard enough to start a fuss. Then the brunette grinned evilly. "You're just scared, aren't you?" The emerald-eyed boy grit his teeth and shot glares back at his friend.

"Move," he growled, pushing Listor out of his path and making his way straight to the array of mauve hair that he easily spotted half-way across the room. When he walked up, she was dancing with a young man who had to be at least eighteen and had his long, snow-white hair tied back into a high ponytail. Drew tapped the taller boy on the shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" he smirked, looking at Violet. He saw her grin at him. The older boy didn't seem to pleased, but gave Violet up peacefully and walked away.

Drew instantly slipped his right arm around Violet's waist and pulled her close to him, taking her hand with his other. She rested her free hand against his shoulder, blushing brightly. He wouldn't blush back; frankly, he was too amused by the pink face. It was kind of … cute?

They swayed to the music. The green-haired Coordinator dipped her a little ways every now and then if he got a bit bored. He was sure Violet would be stepping on his feet left and right, but she wasn't; she was a perfectly decent dancer. When she still wouldn't look up at him, Drew leaned his face in closer so he could whisper into her ear.

"Do I have something on my face? Because you won't look at me," he said in a soft voice, making her giggle slightly and look up at him.

"Sorry," she beamed. Drew smirked back. He let his eyes wander to the locks of her colored hair that framed her face.

"When we get back to the room, we're washing that out," he said in a matter-of-fact way. The mauve-haired girl tilted her head like she always does when she's confused.

"Why do you hate that I colored my hair?" she asked innocently. The mint-topped boy shrugged slightly.

"I like your hair," he complimented. "Don't think you should ruin it."

"Thanks," she said quietly. Drew had never heard her so quiet before. "So … what made you decide to come dance with me?"

"Listor made me," replied the young Coordinator in a bored tone.

"Oh," Violet muttered, looking slightly downcast. For a moment, Drew's heart sank some when she frowned a bit.

"Hey," he spoke up, nudging her forehead with his since she had his hands. It wasn't until some time later that he realized he didn't pull his head back. "What's wrong?" She suddenly grinned back at him.

"Nothing! Really," she assured him, then sighed. Drew felt her breath just barely brush his face, and he flashed her a rare smile. He couldn't help it when his mind flashed back to his most recent dream. His head started to thump slightly as he tried to organize his thoughts. That's when he let his eyes lock with Violet's; emerald and amethyst reflected back in each other's surfaces. Drew took a deep breath. He was about to either make a big mistake … or …

He pursed his lips just a bit and leaned forward.

"Hey guys!" came the sugary voice as Kaysee popped up next to them, making the two Coordinators jump at least a foot or two apart, their cheeks painted crimson. The hot-pink-haired girl shot them a weird look, then shook her head. "Irene's not here yet! She's supposed to be extremely punctual!" she exclaimed. Luckily, Drew was able to quickly compose himself. He shrugged.

"Maybe she's having issues getting to the party? Be patient," he told her, only a hint of irritation in his voice. Suddenly, a trumpet sounded throughout the ball room, stopping all the conversation and music. Listor appeared next to Drew as silent as a Sandshrew, looking curiously around the room for the source of the commotion.

"Please welcome, Ms. Irene!" announced someone over the intercom system as a tall woman in a large, lavender ball gown accessorized with too many ribbons appeared at the front of the room through a pair of great double doors. Kaysee clasped her hands together and sighed, her eyes dazzling brightly.

"Geez, Kayce," Listor smirked. "Why don't you just marry the woman and be done with it?" The shop-owner puffed out her cheeks and punched the explorer hard in the shoulder, growling loudly. Then, the announcer spoke again.

"We're going to have a Q & A session with Ms. Irene. Anyone with a question should simply just raise their hand."

Kaysee's hand was probably the first to shoot up out of at least thirty, but Irene pointed to a tiny boy in his mother's arms in the front row.

"Yes, you?" she spoke softly.

"Miss Irene," he began in a young voice. "What's your favorite color?" The woman chuckled quietly.

"I believe that would be red," she said with a sweet smile at him. That's when Kaysee turned her head slightly in what appeared to be confusion and lowered her hand to her side.

"In all the bios I've ever read, she said her favorite color was pink," she murmured, dumbfounded. Drew and Listor cast each other blank looks.

"Well, that doesn't sound right," Violet pouted, putting a finger to her lips as if she was thinking. A determined expression overcame Kaysee's features, and she clomped her feet onto the ground once.

"That's not Irene," she muttered to herself, stomping off towards the back. Her friends blinked at each other before quickly running after her.

The three followed her through a door at the back of the ball room, trying their best to keep up with the single-minded girl.

"What are you doing?" Listor asked in disbelief as they chased her into a long hallway.

"Going to go find the real Irene," Kaysee said stubbornly, not looking in the direction of her friends. Drew groaned.

"You're ridiculous," he sighed.

"What are we looking for exactly?" the mauve-haired girl asked the other girl, trotting beside her in order to keep up.

"Anything suspic-" she suddenly cut herself off and glanced to her right, Violet tilt her head at her friend.

"What is it, Kaysee?" she asked. She got no response. Instead, the pink-haired girl slowly took a step towards a door.

"Did you guys hear that?" she questioned in a low voice, grabbing the door knob.

"No," Drew replied, raising an eyebrow. Despite his doubt, Kaysee opened the door anyway. The entrance swung open to reveal a frightened, bound and gagged, black-haired woman in nothing but an under-dress, making the group of teens' eyes widen in shock.

"Everything in position?" inquired the Irene-look-alike into the microphone hid beneath her collar. A reply camouflaged with static was her answer. That's when the back door flew open to reveal a angry-faced Poke'mon Breeder and three children standing behind her, their arms crossed.

"My dress back please?" the ebony-haired woman demanded, holding out a hand.

"That Irene's a fake!" Kaysee declared, stepping forward and shaking a fist at the crowd.

"This is the real one!" Listor added with a fierce nod. Drew stood securely behind them, and looked over his shoulder for Violet, but didn't see her. His heart did a nose-dive. Where was she?

"We've been found out!" cried the fake Irene, snatching off her black wig to reveal shorter, oily coal-colored hair. She ripped off the dress in an instant, revealing a scarlet-colored uniform beneath it.

"Yes, Courtney!" came the synchronized response from the crowd as at least twenty of them threw off their tuxedos and dresses to reveal similar uniforms.

"Team Magma!" screamed someone in the crowd, which did nothing but create a scrambling mass of terrified people.

"Sorry! We heard about your party and just had to crash it!" Courtney snickered, tossing a couple poke'balls which released a Mightyena and a Marcargo. Several other Magma members copied her and soon the room was filled to the brim with Poochyena, Slugma, and Numel.

"Pichu, Glameow, Lopunny, let's go!" announced Kaysee, tossing her three poke'balls high into the air.

"Do it to it, Dragonite, Salamance!" Listor cried, releasing his dragons.

"Flygon, Roselia, Masquerain, Vaporeon, go!" Drew ordered, the bright lights from his capsules signaling the arrival of his Poke'mon. A flamethrower was shot towards the teens, and Kaysee's Lopunny let loose an ice beam in return-fire. Listor and Drew shot each other suggestive looks and nodded.

"Hyper Beam!" they both shouted as Salamance, Dragonite, and Flygon all released a conjoined golden beam of light at the opposing Poke'mon, but the attack was blocked with what appeared to be a couple of overheat attacks. The dragon-trainer growled under his breath.

"Where's Violet when you need her?" he grumbled.

"I wish I knew," the grass-haired boy told himself under his breath. Then suddenly, the entire room was engulfed in darkness.

"What's going on?" someone cried.

"I can't see!" cried another. When the lights flashed back on, a familiar cloaked figure stood next to Courtney at the front of the room, a Sneasel standing next to her, poised for attack.

"It's Shadow!" a random person proclaimed, eliciting gasps around the room. Drew starred at her wide-eyed and slapped his forehead. The Team Magma Admin stumbled back slightly before calling out an attack.

"Marcargo, overheat!"

"Blizzard!" Shadow ordered, the dark-ice hybrid releasing a powerful flurry of snow and wind that not only stopped the Marcargo's attack, but halted the war going on throughout the entire room. "Get. Out. Now," the cloaked girl hissed as the snowstorm strengthened, its pure strength shoving people against walls and making Poke'mon dig into the ground to stay stationary. Immediately, Team Magma members scurried out of the room. Even Courtney who had the undeniable sheen of fear flashing in her eyes clambered away like a Poochyena with its tail tucked between its legs.

Drew trudged into his state room, his bow-tie undone and hanging lamely around his neck. Upon entering the room, he saw Violet, still dawning her dress, folding up a long, black garment and stuffing it into her bag. He smirked and crossed his arms.

"That was stupid," he told her. She flashed him an excited smile.

"But it was fun."


	14. Chapter 14

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 14: _Rooftop Rumble_

The loud rumble of the foghorn made Drew's eyes fly open as he shot up out of bed. Dashing to the porthole, he glanced out to see skyscrapers and other buildings accompanied by the occasional flash of greenery. He sighed, letting a smile grace his lips.

"Violet," he called over his shoulder. "We're here." The mauve-haired girl slowly sat up in bed, her hair sticking out in random directions.

"Where?" she moaned groggily, rubbing her eyes. The young, male Coordinator gave her a hopeless glance and put a hand at his waist.

"Lilycove," he replied. "Welcome to the Hoenn Region."

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later," Kaysee Sellsome said with a bitter smile as Drew, Violet, and Listor prepared to exit the ship. "Good luck in the Lilycove Contest, Drew!" she added. He nodded politely in response. Just then, a loud sniffle came from a particular amethyst-eyed girl before she threw her arms around the neck of the shop-owner.

"I'm gonna miss you, Kaysee!" wailed Violet, squeezing the pink-haired girl tightly.

"Aw," the other girl sighed, returning the hug. "I'm gonna miss you too, Vi." Then the sound of the S.S. Tidal's humongous foghorn sounded throughout Lilycove Port. "You better get going!" ushered the shop-owner with an awkward laugh. Violet frowned meekly at her friend, but didn't complain as Drew gently nudged her off the ship. However, this didn't stop her from turning and waving at Kaysee one more time.

"This is where we part was too, you guys," Listor said, turning to them as he released his Salamance from the poke'ball on his belt, and it appeared with a loud roar.

"But why don't you come with us, Listor?" cried the plum-topped Coordinator.

"Nah," the explorer disagreed, brushing her off in a friendly manner. "Got places to explore, Poke'mon to meet, ya know? Best of luck to you two. I have a hunch this ain't the last we've seen of each other!" Listor exclaimed, petting his dragons' long, scaly, azure-blue neck before jumping onto its back.

"Let's hope," Drew smirked, tossing his grassy bangs. The brunette grinned back at him.

"Later, mate," he nodded and flashed the green-haired boy a salute. With that, Salamance propelled itself into the hair with a couple strokes of its large, powerful, scarlet-red wings and zoomed off over the tops of the Lilycove City buildings.

"Ooh! Look at that! And that! Oh wow, what's that?"

Drew let his feet come to a complete stop, his temple pulsing in agitation, and took a deep breath.

"Violet!" he screamed. His hyper-active companion skidded her frolicking to a stop and blinked, turning her head. Drew sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just …" He cut himself off, going over the appropriate words in his mind. "… calm down, alright?" Violet gave him a big grin and stole his hand in both of hers.

"But you'll show me around though, right?" she asked hopefully. Casting her a strange look, Drew snatched his hand from her and stuffed it in his pocket.

"I don't know," he begun, shifting his gaze. "Tomorrow's the Contest. We should be training. Besides, if we have the extra time I would like to visit the - … Violet?" he blinked a couple times at his traveling companion who was starring open-mouthed, wide-eyed at the sky, or so it appeared. "Violet?" Drew repeated.

"S-Sh-Shop-p?" the mauve-haired girl stuttered, pointing upwards at an extremely tall building. The emerald-eyed boy just smirked at her, a hand on his hip.

"Yes. That's the Lilycove Department Store," he told her. She quickly rounded on him, her hands clasped, her eyes sparkling, and her mouth open with the intention of asking an obvious question. "And no, I'm not taking you shopping," he said smugly before she could even ask.

"Awwww!" she bleated. "Why not?" Drew groaned.

"Just NO, Violet!" he said again, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her off in the opposite direction.

"Um… why aren't we going to the Poke'mon Center, Drew?" Violet asked in confusion as her traveling partner led her up to a large, beautiful, white building with lots of windows.

"Why go to a Poke'mon Center when there's a hotel?" he replied cynically. "This is Cove Lily Motel," Drew explained as he pushed the door open and walked inside with Violet at his heels.

"May I help you?" asked an overly-smiley woman at the front counter.

"A room," the green-haired boy said in a monotone.

"Of course," the lady smiled and began typing on her computer. Meanwhile, Violet hid behind Drew and looked around. The ceiling of the lobby was very high and had a crystal chandelier hanging in the center. A set of spiraling steps stood behind the woman to the slight right. To Violet's left, she could just barely see the entrance to a high-maintenance diner that was elegantly decorated like an Italian restaurant. In the other direction, the hallway just seemed to continue on, but she could make out the sound of splashing water in the distance.

"This place is really nice," she muttered in a very quiet voice, clutching the back of Drew's jacket and standing closely to him.

"Duh, of course," the boy smirked over his shoulder, picking up a card from the desk. "Come on." He led her to an elevator hid oh so brilliantly behind the stairs and stepped inside.

Their room was on the top floor in the dead center of the hallway and pointed towards the cove so they had a perfect view of the sea.

"I like it here," Violet giggled, plopping down onto the bed and bouncing up and down a couple times. Meanwhile, Drew dropped his bag and frowned. The girl shot him a confused look and turned her head questioningly. "What is it, Drew?"

"There's only one bed," he sighed, blowing his bangs slightly. Violet looked around, then smiled.

"Oh, guess you're right!" she exclaimed, then shrugged. "Oh well! Guess we'll just have to share!" The male Coordinator shot her a cynical look and slapped his forehead.

"Fine. Whatever," he groaned, heading for the door again. "We've got practicing to do."

"Ugh… I don't wanna!" the mauve-haired girl bellyached as she threw her entire weight backwards onto the bed, arms spread wide. "We already practiced LOTS on the ship! Why can't we just rest?" Drew turned to her with a cynical look in his eye.

"Isn't 'Because I said so' a good enough reason?" he asked inquiringly. Violet's thin eyebrows furrowed before she shot him a glare and stood up, her arms stiff at her sides.

"I'm going to the Department Store!" she declared, stomping past him to the door. The green-haired boy looked at her in disbelief. He opened his mouth to shout at her, but she cut him off. "And there's nothing you can do about it!" she screeched, already half-way out the door.

"At least take -" Drew began before the loud slamming of the door room shutting interrupted him. "…. the room key," he finished with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

By the time Violet walked through the double sliding doors on the bottom floor of the Lilycove Department Center, she had long since forgotten about her frustration with her traveling partner. She took a green shopping basket from her right and walked in further.

"Get your lottery tickets here! Completely free! Get a matching number and win a prize!" advertised a man at the front desk. Violet turned her head. If it was free, then why not? She stepped up to the counter and looked and the moving roll of white tickets. Looking them over, she hesitantly grabbed one and pinched it off of the reel.

"6...2...3...4...1..." she read a loud. Then, a loud buzzing noise exploded in her ears and an explosion of confetti dropped from the ceiling into her hair.

"We have a WWIIIIINNNEEERRRRR!" exclaimed the man. The mauve-haired girl blinked rapidly as she was surrounded by a group of clerks and the sounds of claps around the room. "You're prize: a brand-new, completely free, Poke'Nav!" The man at the desk plopped the round, gold object in Violet's hand. She examined it, turning it over and over again in her palm, then smiled.

With Violet gone, Drew couldn't practice their act for the Contest, so he had decided to make the best of his time alone and visit his destination of interest, the Art Museum. He stepped through the rotating, glass doors, paid the small intuition, and neared the first exhibit. A large, elegantly-carved statue of a Pidgeot stood before him. He leaned closer to read the inscription on its base. Just as he did so, a short, rounded man in an olive-green suit jumped out from behind the statue.

"Hello!" he exclaimed, making Drew jump backwards.

"Um… Hi?" the boy said with a raised eyebrow.

"Can I interest you in some beautiful Poke'mon masterpieces?" he advertised. "They're just on the next floor!" Drew gave him a wary look.

"No thanks," he said and slowly walked away, eyeing the salesman strangely.

Violet looked down the long rows of plush dolls.

"Ooh! Isn't this one cute?" she squealed, picking up an Eevee doll and squeezing it. Then, she noticed something sparkly out of the corner of her eye. Curiously walking over, she looked down through the glass. There, sitting on a purple, velvet pillow was a tiny Roselia made of shiny sterling silver. A thick chain went through a loop on top of its head and flowed out behind it. She looked at it admiringly and smiled at the way the fluorescent light seemed to make it sparkle.

"Someone! Stop that man!" came a sudden scream from behind her. The mauve-haired Coordinator turned around just in time to see a blue-clad man dash into the elevator and shut the doors before a clerk could reach it. "He's stolen a case of evolution stones!" Violet glared in that general direction and raced to the elevator, slamming her fist on the button. After a few seconds, she grew impatient. With a growl, she tore up the escalator. When she didn't spot the culprit on the next floor, she flew up to the next level, the roof. She scanned the area and immediately caught site of the man dressed in a black-and-white shirt, blue jeans, and a blue bandana standing near the edge of the rooftop.

"Hey, you!" she called, jutting an accusing finger at him. "Those don't belong to you!"

"Aw, how cute!" he snickered. "They send a little girl to stop a member of Team Aqua! Mightyena, let's go!" he ordered, tossing a poke'ball high into the air with his free hand; his other held the case of stones. Violet gritted her teeth.

"Dark Thorn, come on out!" she declared, releasing the small bundle of gray fur from it's poke'ball. "Our mission: Get back those stones!"

"_Rwarf!" _the little dog-like Poke'mon barked and crouched down in a ready-to-attack position, the fur on its back bristling.

"Fire fang, Mightyena!" the Aqua member directed. The wolf Poke'mon howled, flames brimming from its mouth, and lunged at its pre-evolved form.

"Dodge with quick attack!" Violet shouted. Dark Thorn yipped and zipped past the Mightyena, leaving behind a trail of white light with its speed. Then, it skidded across the rooftop, turned, and raced towards the larger bundle of black and gray fur, hitting it full-on. Mightyena stumbled back a few steps, before turning on the Poochyena and baring its fangs.

"Bite attack!" the thief cried.

"_Rwoarrw!" _the Mightyena barked and sprung forward, sinking its teeth into the scruff of Dark Thorn's neck.

"Thorn!" the mauve-topped girl wailed, taking a step forward. "You have to break free!"

"_Mhmrr," _it rumbled in pain, wincing, and looked at Violet with a large, amber-gold eye. Suddenly, Dark Thorn was shrouded in a brilliant white light. His Coordinator gasped as her opponent cursed under his breath.

Beneath the veil of light, Violet watched as Dark Thorn's form changed; it grew larger, leaner, and more muscular. When the whiteness faded away, Dark Thorn stood before them as a fully-grown Bite Poke'mon. Then, with a deep-throated growl, it lurched forward and threw the opposing Mightyena from its neck, sending it rolling across the rooftop before letting loose a triumphant howl.

"Thorn, you evolved!" Violet declared happily, doing a little dance for a couple moments.

"_Rrorw!" _it barked with a happy nod.

"Let's go, use take down!" she commanded. Dark Thorn charged towards its opponent.

"You use take down too, Mightyena!" shouted the Aqua grunt. The hyena Poke'mon jumped to its paws and rushed towards the newly evolved Poke'mon. The two Mightyena hit head-on, knocking each other in the shoulders. They pushed their heads against the other, growling viciously with bared fangs and glaring with fierce crimson eyes.

Drew examined the painting carefully, paying deep attention to the detail traced out in the Yanma's wings as it hovered just over a Vileplume.

"Hello again!" shouted a short, familiar man as he popped out from behind the wall where the painting hug. Drew stumbled backwards, clutching his chest and taking a deep breath.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" he said angrily, glaring at the salesman.

"Terribly sorry!" the green suit-clad man muttered. "Are you sure I can't interest you in a Poke'mon masterpiece?" Drew could feel his temple pulse with agitation.

"I told you 'no'!" he said stiffly, folding his arms.

"Oh really? Are you sure? Just one?" the man pressed.

"I'm on the road. I can't carry a painting!" Drew reasoned, shooting imaginary daggers at the man with his eyes.

"We'll send it to your ho-"

"Would you just leave?"

"Fire fang, Mightyena!" the Aqua member ordered again. The hyena Poke'mon's mouth started overflowing with embers.

"Get out of there, Thorn!" Violet cried. Dark Thorn turned tail and ran to its owner's side just as a pair of powerful jaws snapped at one of its back paws. "Now use faint attack!" the amethyst-eyed girl exclaimed. Her dark hyena howled, a purple aura incasing itself around its body. Then it dashed towards its opponent.

"Stop it with shadow ball!" the thief ordered his Poke'mon. The Mightyena reared its head back, a orb of darkness appearing between its fangs. Then, it released it and the black sphere zoomed towards Dark Thorn. But upon contact, its shadows spread over Violet's Poke'mon and fizzled out.

"Looks like you didn't do your homework," the girl smirked. "Ghost-type moves like shadow ball don't work on dark-type Poke'mon! Finish it, Thorn!" Dark Thorn charged on, disappearing into darkness for a moment before reappearing in front of the other Mightyena, and nailed its opponent squarely in the chest. The rival Mightyena stumbled to the side a bit, whimpering, and collapsed to the concrete roof floor. That's when Violet heard the Team Aqua member grumble.

"Return, Mightyena!" he declared, holding up a poke'ball which made his Poke'mon disappear in a flash of red light.

"Thorn, get that case!" the girl cried. The Mightyena growled and raced towards the aqua-dawning man. The thief wailed as Dark Thorn snarled at him. Then, the Poke'mon barked loudly, making the man shriek and drop the case.

"Hold it right there!" came the order from the doorway as an azure-haired woman in a blue police uniform stepped onto the roof. "You're under arrest!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it, Jenny!" the Aqua grunt cackled, raising a hand that had a tiny ball in it the color of soot. He tossed it, shrouding everything within a three-foot radius of him in smoke, but then the sounds of coughing and a loud growl made their way to Violet's and Officer Jenny's ears. When the dust cleared, Dark Thorn had both of the criminal's hands behind his back and was holding both of his wrists securely between its jaws. The two females raced over, Violet picking up the case of evolution stones and Jenny taking the thief from Dark Thorn.

"I'm taking you in for thievery and resisting arrest!" Jenny stated, clasping handcuffs onto the man's wrists as he grumbled loudly. Then, with an arm still on the criminal, she turned to Violet. "Thanks so much for your help! What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Violet," the plum-topped girl grinned. "Glad I could help!"

"That's a great Mightyena you have there," Jenny complimented, making Dark Thorn puff out its chest proudly and growl happily in the back of its throat.

"Yep! Sure is," the young Coordinator agreed; she would have petted him, but her hands were full with the case of stones.

"He'd be an excellent addition to the police force," said the policewoman with a smile.

"Sorry. No can-do, Officer Jenny," Violet said, shaking her head. "I kinda need Dark Thorn by my side." The blue-haired woman chuckled.

"I completely understand. Hey, whaddya say we get those stones back inside, hm?" she suggested. Violet nodded and the four of them headed back downstairs.

The green-haired Coordinator trudged into the hotel room to see Violet sitting on the bed with a Mightyena sitting on the floor before her, its head in her lap.

"Hey, Dark Thorn evolved," he said as he shut the door behind him.

"Yep!" Violet grinned up at him, scratching her dark hyena Poke'mon behind an ear. It panted happily.

"How'd you get in?" Drew asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"I asked for an extra room key," the girl with wine-colored hair smiled. "Duh!" The boy smirked slightly.

"So, what'd you do today?" he inquired, sitting down next to her on the bed.

"Oh, nothing," she shrugged. "Just stopped a member of Team Aqua from stealing a case of evolutionary stones at the Department Store." Drew looked at her cynically.

"Yeah, right!" he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"It's true!" Violet giggled. "What about you?"

"Dodged a crazy salesman all day," he said irritably, shifting his gaze to nothing in particular. This made his traveling companion laugh even more. Then, her eyes lit up as if she remembered something and she jumped off the bed and to her bag sitting limply in the corner of the room. "What is it?" he asked.

"I got you something!" she smiled, pulling out a small, purple, square box tied with a mint-green bow. The grassy-haired boy looked at her strangely before slowly taking the box. He dropped it in his lap and pulled on the bow which instantly became undone. He lifted the lid and pulled out a gold, oval-shaped object that fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. He pressed a green button on the front of it with his thumb, and the top of the little machine lifted up and folded out, revealing a little screen. "It's a Poke'Nav!" Violet explained, beaming.

"I know what it is," he said quietly, not looking up at her as he turned it over and over in the palm of his hand. The girl's grin faltered only slightly.

"Do you like it?" she asked. Drew could feel the corner of his lips tug upward into a slow smile. He looked up at her, letting their eyes lock.

"Yeah. Thanks, Violet," he said simply. Her wide smile instantly returned.

"I thought you would!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck in a fervent hug. The emerald-eyed boy blinked a couple of times, surprised, before bringing his free hand up behind his traveling partner and putting it on her back. His hand slipped up into her velvet, violet hair and ran through it for a moment. He felt his smile grow larger, then wrapped his arm tighter around the girl.

Violet pulled back a bit and rested her head on Drew's shoulder, her forehead pressed into the crook of his neck. The boy took a deep, quiet, breath, letting his hand fall so he could put his weight on it; he could still feel Violet's back pressed against it though.

"Show me what it does," she requested, poking the Poke'Nav with a finger.

"Tomorrow's the contest. We should rest up," he told her, looking down at her.

"Oh, come on!" she giggled. "You know no one can beat US!" Drew chuckled at his friend.

"Over-confidence like that isn't why you beat me," he said, standing up slowly so as not to make her fall. He turned off the little, yellow machine in his hand and placed it in his bag. "Get ready for bed," he told her, slipping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He stepped to the sink, putting a hand on each side, and leaned forward, putting the majority of his weight on his arms. He looked at himself in the mirror, looking at himself directly in the eye.

That had been to close for his comfort.

Outside in the room, Violet starred at the closed door and cupped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to hold back a fit of giggles. A quiet bark snapped her out of it. That's when Dark Thorn trotted over to her, carrying an elongated, navy-blue box in its mouth. It dropped it in her lap, making the girl smile. She removed the lid to see the sterling silver Roselia. With delicate fingers, she turned it over and read the words engraved on the back of it.

"Drew & Violet. Friends Forever."


	15. Chapter 15

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 15: _Twin Trouble_

Drew's eyes slowly fluttered open, but the only thing he saw was a heap of mauve hair. He blinked a couple times and pulled his head back slightly to get a better image of his traveling companion resting in his arms, her head lodged in the crook of his neck. The grass-haired boy could also feel her arms latched tightly around his mid-section. His arms were also loosely around her; the problem was that she was laying on one of them. Therefore, he was kind of stuck there.

"Violet," he uttered, nudging her with his forehead. She muttered something incoherent in her sleep and nuzzled her face deeper into this gray sweatshirt. "I'm not your teddy bear," he whispered into her ear, not being able to hold back a small chuckle. "Besides, we've got a contest to win today." Violet tilted her head upwards and reluctantly opened her eyes to look at him.

"Oh, fine!" she sighed, her breath making Drew's bangs billow a bit. This resulted in only giggles.

"How do I look?" asked the female Coordinator, pivoting towards her friend as she tugged the cloak's hood securely over her eyes.

"Like you raided the Grim Reaper's closet," Drew smirked.

"Oh, make your jokes. But admit it, you know you need my help!" the black-clad girl teased in an oily voice, almost snickering. The boy cast her a cynical look; when she put on that cloak, it was as if she was an entirely different person.

The two made their way down to the motel lobby, but no sooner than they had stepped out of the elevator, excited shouts met their ears.

"Hey, look! It's Shadow!"

"Really?"

"Shadow! Sign my poke'ball!"

Now, ten-to-twelve people were ambushing them from either side of the hallway.

"Run?" Shadow inquired.

"Run," Drew nodded, and the pair made a mad dash for the door.

After out running a couple mobs, the two Coordinators managed to reach the Contest Hall. Drew doubled over to pant, resting his hands on his knees.

"I … hate your … popularity!" he snarled between breaths, and he swore he saw his friend smirk at him from beneath her hood.

As they made their way to the registration counter, mutterings erupted up around them.

"It's Shadow…"

"The news said she was on the S.S. Tidal!"

"No surprise she's here in Lilycove then …"

"She's got five ribbons already! Why's she competing?"

"Is that Drew she's with?"

"Are they partners?"

Drew just wanted a Donphan to barge in and bowl them all over. Didn't they know it was rude to stare at people and whisper about them?

"Contest Passes please," said the lady at the front desk. Her orange hair curled all the way up to her ears and her teeth were so shiny that Drew would bet he could see himself in them.

"Here," the emerald-eyed boy said in a monotone voice as he gave her his card. She swiped it through a machine and typed a few things on her computer.

"Partner?" she asked. Drew ushered to Shadow, standing just to his right. Instantly, the woman's face turned cherry red. "I can't believe it! It's … Shadow! .. Oh! Um…if I could see your Contest Pass …" The disguised Violet handed it to her using two fingers in a cool fashion. Shy, shaking hands graciously took it and performed the previous procedure; the mint-topped boy rolled his eyes. After this little escapade, they proceeded backstage.

"Hey everyone! Vivian here at the Lilycove Doubles' Contest! Trust me, do we EVER have a show in store for you! Alright, let's go over the rules. Each group must consist of two people and two Poke'mon. Both Poke'mon cannot belong to the same team member. The appeal Poke'mon must be used during the battle portion as well. Ball capsules are optional. Now, let's get things started. Our first contestants are Louis and Michelle," announced Vivian in her bright, scarlet-red dress as a young couple comprised of a brunette man and a golden-haired woman appeared on stage holding hands.

Drew watched the monitor from the backstage Coordinator's lounge as the man and woman released a Wartortle and a Clefairy, respectively.

"Clefairy, use charm!" the woman cried. The cute, pink Poke'mon giggled and blew a kiss, the result being a burst of hot-pink hearts erupting into the air.

"Quick, Wartortle, bubble!" exclaimed her partner.

"_Warrr!" _the turtle obliged, spitting shiny, blue bubbles into the air with the hearts. Upon contact, the two objects merged into each other to create a minefield of clear spheres with elegant hearts floating within them.

"Oh, that's so cute!" Vivian declared.

"Okay, in your shell, Wartortle!" the male Coordinator ordered.

"Clefairy, on its back!" his companion cried. The blue Poke'mon's head, arms, legs, and tail disappeared into its shell with a 'pop'. Meanwhile, the fluffy Clefairy cutely hopped atop it.

"Now, spin!"

"Cosmic power!"

The moon-born Poke'mon let loose a large spray of rainbow-colored cosmic energy from its fingertips that, from Wartortle's spin, swirled up into the air, bringing the bubbled hearts with it. This created a beautiful, multi-colored fountain that sparkled and spread throughout the entire room.

"Wow! Isn't that just beautiful?" Vivian swooned. "Judges?"

"Very simple, yet elegant. And excellent teamwork!" Mr. Contesta complimented.

"Absolutely remarkable!" Sukizo added.

"They're both very adorable and are obviously happy and healthy Poke'mon," Nurse Joy beamed.

Backstage, Drew grimaced at the screen as Louis and Michelle received perfect tens all the way across the board.

"They're good," he stated sternly, glowering at the monitor.

"You worry too much," Shadow smirked, a hand on her hip.

"Next up, we have Emily and Natalie!" Vivian Meridian proclaimed, two tiny girls appearing on stage. They wore two yellow jumpers and had short, ebony hair; the pair were obviously twins.

"Nidoking!"

"Nidoqueen!"

"Let's go!" they shouted together, tossing their poke'balls. From Emily's erupted a large, muscular purple-spiked Poke'mon. From Natalie's, its pale-blue, horned mate appeared.

"Wow! Such big Poke'mon from such little girls! Didn't see that one coming!" Vivian giggled just as Emily's Poke'mon started off the appeal.

"Earth power!" the little girl cried. Nidoking roared loudly, then raised a foot and brought it crashing down into the ground, doing the same thing with its tail simultaneously. A handful of tremors began with the large, mauve Poke'mon as the epicenter. The earth began to crumble in certain places; rock cracked and started to bend up towards the surface.

"Ice beam, Nidoqueen!" Natalie broke in.

"_Nnyyrrraaaiiiggghh!" _the queen cried, rearing its head back as a orb of bright blue light appeared between its jaws. The beam of ice shot from it and hit the up-crumbling rock, spreading to all the upheavals and halting any further eruption.

"Now that takes some excellent timing, folks!" Vivian went on with her play-by-play.

"Earthquake!" the twins shouted at the same time. The Nido-mates bellowed at full volume and smashed their tails into the ground. The entire stadium shook, making the frozen earth break and shattering the ice. The shards were spewed into the air and then slowly fell over the field like sparkling snow.

"Well, that was one for the books! Let's see what our judges have to say," Vivian said.

"Your timing was excellent," Mr. Contesta nodded.

"Remarkable!" Sukizo smiled.

"You two are very advanced for your age. Well done!" Nurse Joy complimented.

"The scores please, Judges!" requested the ruby-dawning hostess. Emily and Natalie grinned, showing the spaces in their mouths where they were missing their two front teeth, as they received an eight-point-five, a nine, and a ten.

"Their timing was impressive," Drew grumbled, crossing his arms as he watched the performance from backstage.

"Don't be fooled," his partner said. Even with her hood up, the green-topped boy could tell she had just rolled her eyes. "The only reason they got scores like that is because they're so young. The judges are just going easy on them." With that, she turned, her cape billowing out behind her, and trudged into a nearby room. The emerald-eyed boy flashed a curious look in the direction from which she had vanished. Doing a quick scan of the Coordinator's lounge to make sure no one was paying any attention to him, Drew followed her. Stepping into the next room, he immediately caught sight of her leaning against the corner wall with her hood off. His eyes going slightly wider than normal, he raced over to her and grabbed the hood, shoving it over her head.

"What are you doing with your hood off? You could've been seen!" he scolded, putting his face directly in front of hers.

"There's … a lot of good Coordinator's here. Not like in Lavender Town," she uttered under her breath, looking down.

"Look at me!" Drew exclaimed, grabbing his partner by the shoulders and giving her a slight shake just strong enough to make her look up at hm. "You're Shadow! You're the best Coordinator here … I swear, if you zone out on me now, I'll -"

"Hey!" came the interrupting call from the blonde woman. The grassy-haired boy looked over his shoulder to see Michelle latched onto Louis' arm. The couple smiled at them and the brunette waved. "Are you two … together?" Michelle asked inquisitively, pointing at Drew and Shadow. The younger Coordinators blinked and then noticed how close they were standing and, better yet, how close their faces were. For a moment, the lime-topped Coordinator was sure he blushed, but he turned to his traveling partner; he rather her see his face red than someone he DIDN'T see everyday.

"No," he replied carelessly, turning to face them only when he was sure he looked apathetic about the whole situation.

"Really?" giggled the blonde.

"Because you sure look like it," Louis smirked. Drew copied his smirk and crossed his arms.

"Stuff like love only gets in the way. It distracts you from the prize," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"No," Michelle cooed. "Being in love is wonderful!" The boy raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, I don't have time for love," he stated sternly. "Shadow, c'mon." With that, he retuned to the Coordinator's lounge. Shadow watched him go from underneath her hood and put her head down as she followed him. This way, no one could see her lip tremble as she tried to fight the urge to cry.

While he had been gone, Drew missed the performance of two Karate Brothers named Lo and Ve with a Hitmonchan and a Hitmontop. According to the replays, Lo had is Hitmonchan used fire punch and ice punch at the same time while Ve's Hitmontop used rapid spin. When Hitmonchan's attacks hit Hitmontop, this resulted in a twister of fire and ice and grew larger the faster the Poke'mon spun. They had received a couple nines and a ten. Then, when the jade-haired boy saw who was next, his eyes widened.

"Next, we have a real treat for you ladies and gentlemen!" Vivian announced onstage. "It's gym leaders Tate and Liza from Mossdeep City!" Tate cart-rolled onto the stage while his sister, Liza, did a front flip and stuck her landing perfectly.

"Ready to be …"

"… blown away by …"

"…our combination appeal?" The twins spoke, finishing each others' statement.

"Oh my!" Vivian sweat dropped. "Twin power doesn't seem to be in short supply today, does it?"

"Lunatone!"

"Solrock!"

"Let's do it!" both gym leaders shouted at the same time.

"Solrock, use fire spin!" Liza directed.

"Lunatone, rock polish!" ordered Tate.

"_Soouuuuuull!" _the sun-shaped Poke'mon said telepathically as it began to spin at impossible speeds. Flames began erupting around it and soon, a huge tornado of fire had been whipped up and was taking up almost the entire stage area; Solrock had been lost in its depths. Meanwhile, Lunatone floated above it and began to shine insanely bright.

"Wow!" Vivian smiled, shielding her eyes. "Wish I had brought my sun-glasses!"

"Psychic, Solrock!" Liza announced. Suddenly, the twister of fire halted as a blue light incased itself around it. The embers broke apart until Solrock was again visible and formed into dozens of spheres of flame that were held all around the stage.

"Now, use gyro ball!" Tate exclaimed, punching his fist into the air. Then, still shining brightly, his Lunatone sent itself rolling into the nearest ball of fire. On contact, it pivoted away and neared for the next one. This continued on and on until Lunatone was bouncing all across the stage.

"Look! Tate and Liza have created a game of Poke'mon pinball!" Vivian cried excitedly.

"Cosmic power!" both twins suddenly commanded. Beautiful, star-dust exploded from both space Poke'mon and all previous spectacles were replaced with the simple yet stunning image of Solrock and Lunatone floating side-by-side in a field of sparkling cosmic energy.

"That was simply amazing!" the hostess complimented, giggling. "What do you think Judges?"

"I believe you two have proved that you are not only amazing gym leaders, but top Coordinators as well. Your performance was energetic and exciting!" Mr. Contesta said smiling.

"Completely and 100% remarkable!" Sukizo beamed.

"All I can say is 'wow'! I'm in complete awe!" Nurse Joy said happily, her hands clasped together. It was no surprise when Tate and Liza received three perfect scores of ten.

"Alright, we're next," Drew said from backstage, securing the ball capsule on his poke'ball and taking a deep breath. "Ready?" He received no answer. Grimacing, he pivoted towards his partner. "Shadow!" he shouted, making her instantly look up at him. "Snap out of it!" The cloak-clad girl shook her head to clear her mind.

"Right!" she said with a nod and clasped her poke'ball tightly.

"Ready for our big finale?" Vivian asked the crowd. She was answered with excited whoops and hollers. "Good! Because Shadow's back! And you won't believe this! The last person she was seen battling, is now her partner! And he's no push-over either! Yet another celebrity team is bound to blow us all away!"

Drew stepped onstage from the left and tossed his hair, throwing a rose into the crowd. He received screams of admiration; most of these were kind of high-pitched from all the fan girls. Then, Shadow stepped on stage from the other side of the platform. She flung her cape and turned so her back was to the crowd, looking at them over her shoulder. The sound of thunderous clapping and earsplitting shouts of approval met her appearance. The emerald-eyed boy refrained from glaring at his partner.

"Vaporeon!" he called, releasing his water-type Poke'mon.

"Ghost Ring!" Shadow cried, doing the same with her Umbreon.

"Ooh! We've never seen these Poke'mon from these Coordinators before!" Vivian said excitedly.

As the two Eevee-evolutions were let loose from their capsules, mist poured out behind them and streamed out onto the stage; it even began over-flowing into the stands.

"No one can see!" Vivian Meridian screeched.

"Haze," Drew directed coolly and calmly.

"_Nyyeeaa!" _Vaporeon mewed and flipped its tail, whipping up more mist that thickened the already opaque fog that governed the entire stadium now.

"Mean look," his partner hissed. The smoke was so thick that no one could see the Umbreon, but everyone knew it was moonlight Poke'mon when a huge pair of crimson eyes formed through the fog, starring menacingly out into the crowd.

"That's … kinda scary!" came the shaky voice from the hostess.

Now that the mist was beginning to clear, it was time to continue the act.

"Now use surf," Drew smirked. His Vaporeon cried and tossed its head, summoning a wave of water that rose from its paws. The swell swirled around at Vaporeon's will and then rose up into a spiral of liquid, also ridding the field of fog.

"Ghost Ring, let's go swimming," Shadow said smugly as her dark-type Poke'mon leaped into the water. "Dark pulse," she added. That's when a dark aura began pulsing from the depths of the water, turning the entire flood a ghostly black.

"Look, it's straight out of a horror film! Yet so elegant!" sighed Vivian.

"Use blizzard!" the green-topped Coordinator went on, directing his Poke'mon. The blue Eevee-evolution leapt from the ebony waves and the liquid fell with a 'splash', revealing Ghost Ring. With a flick of its ears, Vaporeon whipped up a howling wind scattered with ice and snow. This instantly froze the remaining water, creating towers of ice around the edges of the field as a heavy layer of snow settled over the stage.

"Moonlight," Shadow smirked from beneath her hood and snapped her fingers.

"_Um…bre'!" _Ghost Ring barked, the hairs on its back rising slightly as it summoned a large, white moon overhead. Moonbeams filtered down over the freshly fallen snow, turning it beautiful and making the icicles shine brilliantly. The two Eevee-evolutions bowed, standing side-by-side and chest-deep in the fallen white.

"That was simple incredible! I'd give you a ten! Ten! Ten! Ten!" Lillian exclaimed happily, clapping crazily.

"The two of you have very different appeal styles, but you brought them together perfectly! The chemistry the two of you and your Poke'mon have is unmatchable! I've never seen anything like it!" Mr. Contesta told them.

"RE-MARK-A-BLE!" Sukizo shouted, clapping.

"That was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen! Both of you and your Poke'mon were incredible!" Nurse Joy praised. All three judges gave them tens and the audience erupted into applause.

"Great job, you two!" complimented Michelle as Drew and Shadow reappeared in the Coordinator's lounge.

"Yeah, you were great!" her lover added with a thumb's up.

"Thanks," the grass-topped boy responded, flipping his bangs.

"This means we'll both be in the finals!" the golden-haired woman smiled.

"Good luck," Louis told them.

"You too," Shadow spoke softly, not looking at either of them. Her sudden vocalization made them look at her in surprise. From underneath her hood, she managed them a small smile.

"Okay!" came Vivian's voice over the intercom as the monitor turned light blue. "Since three of our teams got perfect scores, they're automatically in the finals! Michelle and Louis! Tate and Liza! And Drew and Shadow!" As the hostess announced their names, their pictures appeared on the screen. "Our last finalists are Lo and Ve! Congratulations finalists! Everybody else, sorry! Maybe next time!" The Karate Brothers' pictures appeared next to the other finalists on the television screen. "Our first battle is going to be between Michelle and Louis and Lo and Ve! Come on out you guys and let's get this battle started!" Vivian announced.

Michelle and Louis waved by as they headed for the stage. Then, Drew turned to his partner.

"Good job out there," he said, resting a hand at his waist. Shadow shrugged. The green-haired Coordinator gave her a strange look but then overlooked the matter. "Well, we'll have to battle Tate and Liza so be prepared," he told her. She nodded in response before sitting down in the corner of the room. Drew didn't press her for answers and instead watched Louis and Michelle's match on the monitor.

Hiding in the shadows of her hood, Violet lowered her head down until her chin pressed stiffly against her chest. She drew her knees up and pulled them as close to her body as she could, wrapping her arms around them. Then, from the confines of her shirt, she pulled out the small, sterling silver Roselia that hung from a chain around her neck and pressed it into the palm of her hand. She made a fist around, clutching it so tightly her knuckles soon turned white. It wasn't long before she felt herself quivering. Touching her knees with her face, she could feel a slight wetness cascading from her cheeks. Was she crying? If she was, she didn't really care. Further hiding her face, she let a couple tears seep into her black cloak.

The result of Louis and Michelle's match was quickly decided; the couple destroyed Lo and Ve despite the fact that Clefairy had a type-disadvantage. Next up was Drew and Shadow.

When they appeared on stage, the gym leaders standing opposite them, the green-haired boy could tell his partner was in a daze, but he couldn't really attempt to snap her out of it in front of all of these people.

Both groups released their Poke'mon and the match began.

"Vaporeon, use surf!" Drew cried. The blue Eevee-evolution meowed and summoned a flood that sped for the two floating Poke'mon.

"Safeguard!" Tate ordered as Lunatone floated before Solrock and created a large wall of gold light that made the water wash right around them.

"Flamethrower, Solrock!" Liza cut in. That's when Solrock floated up high and sent a jet of flame hurdling down towards Vaporeon.

"Acid armor!" the young Coordinator exclaimed. Just in time, the Vaporeon melted into a pool of water and let the stream of fire race by before reforming into its natural form.

"Folks, what's wrong with Shadow?" Vivian Meridian gasped loudly. "She's just standing there! She hasn't called out one attack!"

"Violet!" Drew hissed under his breath. "Snap out of it!" But his partner just continued to stand there in her own little world.

"Go, cosmic power!" both twins shouted. Their Poke'mon gave a couple twirls, spreading a shower of stardust, and summoned a large meteor that came crashing down towards Drew's Poke'mon.

"Hydro pump!" he ordered.

"_Nya!" _the Vaporeon cried, releasing a huge gush of water from its mouth at the meteor. The two attacks collided just feet from Vaporeon's nose and the hydro pump was the only thing preventing the meteor from plummeting down on the bubble-jet Poke'mon.

"Dark pulse, Ghost Ring!" Shadow suddenly commanded. The Umbreon's pelt bristled, its body getting covered in a dark aura. Then, with a bark, it released all its energy. The force pulsed towards Solrock and Lunatone and, catching them by surprise, easily knocked them down from the air and making them telepathically wail in pain. The meteor dissolved in mid-air, freeing Vaporeon.

"Surf!" Drew shouted. His Poke'mon beckoned another giant wave that swelled up high and then came crashing down on top of its opponents. When the water washed away, both Poke'mon lay on the stage floor, knocked out.

"Wow!" Vivian said in shock. "With that knock-out, Shadow and Drew are our winners!"

The green-haired boy put a hand on his chest and took a deep breath, then turned on his partner.

"What are you playing at?" he demanded.

"Sorry," Shadow replied in an emotionless voice. "It won't happen again."

"Hey, great job!" Tate complimented, walking across the stage and shaking Drew's hand. "I know this is a contest and all, but we're gym leaders and you did beat us! So, I think you deserve this," he said, holding out his hand with a pendant in the shape of a pink heart. A tiny, blue gem was placed in the center of it. "It's the Mind Badge," he explained. The green-haired boy gave it an analytical look before taking it.

After a short intermission for their Poke'mon to rest, the final match was under way. Drew released his Vaporeon, Shadow let out Ghost Ring, Louis called out his Wartortle, and Michelle let Clefairy free of its poke'ball.

"Let the finals begin!" Vivian announced just as the clock timer started ticking down.

"Metronome, Clefairy!" the golden-haired woman cried. The moon-bound Poke'mon began twitching its fingers, and everyone in the stadium were on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what it would be. Suddenly, a large purple comet came from out of no where and was heading for the two Eevee-evolutions.

"Whoa! How lucky was that! Metronome turned into draco meteor!" said the red-clad hostess.

"Aurora beam!" Drew shouted.

"Then iron tail, Ghost!" Shadow followed up. Vaporeon let loose a ray of multi-colored lights that completely froze the giant rock when the two attacks came in contact. Then, Umbreon's tail started glowing bright white as it leapt into the air and did a front flip, letting its tail come crashing into the giant, frozen rock, shattering it into thousands of little pieces.

"Wow! Now that's teamwork!" Vivian giggled. "That's gonna take Michelle and Louis down a couple points!"

"Confuse ray!" the girl in black cried. With that, her Umbreon howled, releasing an orb of light that flew towards Wartortle and started zooming circles around the water-type Poke'mon.

"No, Wartortle!" Louis cried, but it was too late. In mere moments, Wartortle was teetering back and forth across the stage in confusion. "Come on, use hydro pump on that Umbreon!" he tried to order. The turtle Poke'mon did succeed in letting loose a jet of water from its mouth, but it swiveled towards Clefairy before it shot it.

"_Ffaaaaaiiiiirrrrr!" _the pink Poke'mon cried as it was shot across the stage. It was pushed smack-dab into a wall and collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

"Clefairy!" Michelle wailed, racing to her Poke'mon's side and picking the pink fluff-ball up into her arms.

"That's it, folks!" Vivian announced. "With that knock out, Louis and Michelle are out! That makes Drew and Shadow our winners! It's clear! When these two work together, there's just nothing they can't do!"

Drew flashed a pleased look at Shadow who gave him a weak smile back.

"We get to present them with the Lilycove Doubles Ribbons!"

Later on that evening, Violet sat on the bed in the room at the Cove Lily Motel, folding up her black cloak before stuffing it into her knapsack. Drew sat on the other side of the bed, drinking a smoothie and admiring his new ribbon. Out of the corner of his eye though, he could see the down expression on his companion's face. She had been like that ever since their first match in the contest today. Because of this, he had decided to not hound her about her lack of consciousness in the first battle. All this aside, now he was just sick of it.

"What's been up with you today?" he asked, crossing his legs. The mauve-haired girl shrugged.

"I'm just not very happy," she told him quietly.

"Well obviously," Drew said sarcastically, taking another sip of his smoothie. He pouted slightly when he realized the cup was empty. He stood up and took a step towards the trash can to through it away. That's when Violet spoke up again.

"Did you mean it?" she asked softly. Drew stood and thought, but couldn't conjure up in his head what she was talking about.

"What are you talking about?" he said, confused, as he dropped his paper cup into the trash bin. He began making his way back to his spot on the bed where he had been sitting. But when the next words came from his traveling partner's mouth, his feet seemed to plant themselves in the carpet where he stood.

"Do you really think love gets in the way?" Violet queried. Drew's heart skipped a couple beats. He forced himself to look at her; the usual amethyst-like sheen was gone from her eyes. They were still glossy, but probably with the beginnings of tears. He remembered his earlier conversation with Louis and Michelle. Those things he had said … Had he hurt her? If so, it hadn't been intentionally.

"I …" she began, but cut herself off by looking away. He was sure he heard her sniffle a bit. "I … thought that you … maybe … liked me." Drew's heart did another flip-flop; this girl was going to make him have a coronary. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to think. What should he say in this situation? He took a deep breath; it was embarrassing when he heard that it was shaky.

"I … didn't say I didn't like you," he said in a nervous voice. Violet's face shot up to look at him. He let their eyes lock and noticed the beads of salty liquid that were gathering on her eyelashes; they looked like tiny dewdrops. She appeared a bit hopeful. Did he just confess? Wait! Confess what? He didn't like her! That's when the softness of his gaze became hard again.

"What I said was …" he began, biting his lower lip. All his emotions were playing tug-o-war with him right now. He had no idea which side was going to win, but the response he gave seemed to make his chest cavern ache.

"I said I didn't have time for love."


	16. Chapter 16

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 16: _As The Tension Grows Pyre!_

"_I don't have time for love."_

Drew's own words echoed loudly in his mind as he starred up at the midnight-time moon; sleep refused to take him into its issue-less clutches tonight. He stood outside on the balcony of the room he shared with Violet at the Cove Lily Motel. The sea breeze blew through his grassy locks, making them billow wildly about his face. By now, his cheeks were a hot-red from the cold air. But he couldn't go back inside. He couldn't force himself to be in the same room as Violet let alone the same bed.

"'_Saul," _the young Coordinator heard from behind. He turned on his heel to see a familiar disaster Poke'mon, its snow-white fur turned a smoky silver form being bathed in the moonlight. Drew's eyes grew hard and cold.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"_Aaaab - ssaauulll," _it growled, locking its scarlet eyes with Drew's. The mint-topped Coordinator broke the starring contest and shifted his gaze back to the moon. He started glaring, but he wasn't exactly sure what he was glaring at. He was pretty sure that, if he could, he'd glare at himself.

The lobby of the Cove Lily Motel was completely dark; the receptionist had retired for the evening and it was late enough for all the guests to be safely tucked into their rooms. A strong sea breeze from outside howled against the glass double doors, making them rattle and bang against each other. Suddenly, an extra gush of wind tossed the doors open, sending the blustery weather whirling into the lobby. Plants sitting in golden vases let their leaves rustle wildly and papers scattered on the front desk were tossed up into the air.

A mass of dark mist seemed to materialize between the two doors as it floated into the hotel. It pivoted this way and that before pressing onward. It levitated past a lamp sitting on the receptionist's desk, and the light bulb sparked a second before busting and letting its glass shatter, sprawling out all across the counter. The mound of darkened air reached the elevator and angled upwards before soaring up the elevator shaft, fading through and out of walls at will.

It floated down a hallway high above the ground floor until it came to hover stationary in front of a single door. The mass seemed to look this way and that before phasing through the door. The room was nice enough; another door led to a bathroom, a dresser was in the corner, and an entertainment center with an average-sized television on top of it sat across from one queen-sized bed. Beneath the covers was a mound that seemed to be curled up into a ball. Tufts of mauve hair stuck out from beneath the covers.

The throng of mist began to swirl and materialized to form a large, wide Poke'mon with dark skin and yellow markings on its belly in the shape of a face. A single red eye was positioned in the middle of a narrow face and no pair of legs lay underneath it so it continued to float. Its scarlet eye scanned the room and fell on a pair of transparent, folding doors that led out onto a balcony where a white disaster Poke'mon and a green-haired boy stood, oblivious to the Ghost Poke'mon. It looked back to the bed and floated over. A pair of large, bulky arms reached forward, fingers itching to pull back the covers. Suddenly, a red spark erupted from out of no where and the large Ghost Poke'mon pulled back. It shut its one eye and shook its head, ridding itself of the shock. A rumble emanated from its throat as it looked down at a girl's hand that fell out off the bed from underneath the covers. From her fingers, a thin, soft, black rope dangled and at the end of it rested a ruby-colored pendant, glimmering brightly in the darkness and tiny, scarlet sparks jumping off it here and there. The Ghost Poke'mon glowered deeply at the stone before fading back into its smoky form.

Violet gasped loudly as her eyes shot open only for her to find that she was held captive in a sea of black. Nothing but darkness spread out as far as the eyes could see; it began swirling around her - twisting and turning around her wrists, waist, neck, and ankles as it pulled her deeper and deeper into its inky depths. She opened her mouth to scream, but instead only succeeded in letting the shadows flow into her mouth and seep down her throat. It was in her mouth, and now it was covering her eyes. She couldn't see. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe! Her fingers clenched at nothingness, stretching for a certain object but not finding it. Where was her pendant? Then, an image wormed its way into her mind. It was an image as vivid as life itself. As clear as day, she saw a certain grass-haired boy smirk at her, his eyes shimmering brightly. In his right hand he held up a necklace with a ruby stone dangling at the end. His already curved lips perked up further into a sneer before he threw his head back and laugh maliciously as he faded back into the darkness of her mind. She wanted to yell, scream, and cry, but couldn't. Could Drew really betray her?

Drew's Roselia leapt onto his shoulder as he held up the large, golden trophy high into the air, showing it off to the crowd. That's when a black cloak-clad Violet, her hood removed, ran across the stadium to his side. She threw her arms around his neck pressingly and kissed his cheek, giggling happy. His face turned slightly red as he smirked at her, the sound of the crowd's roaring cheers ringing in his ears. Then, the sun's rays suddenly became insanely bright. He winced his eyes at the light as the beam's danced across his face.

Green irises slowly appeared from behind his eye lids as they fluttered open in response to sunlight playing across his cheeks. He was sitting down on the balcony floor, leaning against the railing walls. His head slowly rose as Absol pushed itself to its paws and pushed the door to the room open before padding back in. The dreary-eyed boy shook his head and blinked a couple times, raising a hand to his forehead; it ached terribly. Had he really stayed out on the balcony all night? Suddenly, a bark from Absol billowed from the hotel room. Drew's eyes shot upwards and he was on his feet in seconds. He burst through the double doors that led out onto the balcony. His eyes did a two-millisecond scan of the room before falling on the sight of an empty bed. His heart skipped a beat before he was able to rush over to the bedside.

"_Ab-saul," _the white disaster Poke'mon growled, pointing at something hidden beneath the bed sheets. Drew followed White Fang's gaze and reached beneath the covers. His fingers wrapped around a smooth object, and he pulled his hand back to find that he was clutching Violet's ruby pendent that Rue had given her. The question was, where was Violet?

Drew's gaze darted over to the Dark Poke'mon beside him and their eyes locked. A deep growl rumbled in its throat as its scarlet irises glowered at the green-haired Coordinator as if to say, _"How could you let this happen to her?" _The boy returned the menacing stare with one of his own, but his own heart was asking him the same question. He threw on his lavender jacket, grabbed both his and Violet's bags, and shoved his feet into his shoes as he ran out the door, White Fang on his heels.

Drew raced out of Cove Lily Motel and skidded to a stop about ten yards from the entrance.

"White Fang," he spoke quickly, turning on his heel to look at the Absol. "Which way?" The Disaster Poke'mon sniffed at the ground for a few seconds before growling loudly and bounding off down the street. The boy took off after it as fast as he could. He ended up chasing White Fang down sidewalks, across streets, and finally into the woods at the edge of Lilycove. "She's left the city!" he thought, making his heart twist painfully.

The pair ran through the marked path into the woods until it came to a fork. White Fang stopped and pranced in a circle as it sniffed the air and ground.

"Well?" Drew pressed, his chest heaving after the effort of running so long. "Which way?"

"'_Saul!" _the Disaster Poke'mon barked as it raced off towards the left. The young Coordinator was quick to follow the Absol with full faith. His chest was burning, his thighs ached, and it seemed as if his heart was about to give out on him, but he refused to slow down in the slightest.

As he ran, he noticed a rugged mountain top appearing over the trees, and it steadily grew larger and larger as he ran farther in this direction. Finally, White Fang led him up to the base of the mountain. The entrance had cement steps that lead into an opening and a pair of columns rose up on either side. A sign sat over on the right. "_Mt. Pyre: the resting place for Hoenn's lost Poke'mon_" it read.

"Ghost Poke'mon," Drew thought. He should've guessed. "Let's go, White Fang," he exclaimed as he trotted up the steps and into the mountain.

The inside looked like a typical tower; dark blue and white tiles checkered the floor and gravestones dotted the ground. Another set of stairs led upwards from across the room.

"'_Saul," _White Fang barked, ushering in that direction. Drew nodded as he took a step forward towards the stairs only to be ambushed by a mound of smoke that threw itself at his face. The green-haired boy coughed and waved his arms through the air, swinging at his invisible attacker. The mist stung his eyes so he shut them tightly and flung his fists blindly. Sounds of White Fang's growls reached his ears, but the ghostly assault didn't cease. Suddenly, a gentle "whoosh" gushed by and Drew felt an unexpected coldness envelope him. His body froze and he opened his eyes, but he couldn't see. It was as if he hadn't opened his eyes at all! All around him was nothing but blackness except for the phantom-like mist that hovered next to him. A far-off snicker emanated from the shadows as the fog materialized into a floating skull. A cloth draped around it and dangled towards the floor, and a large, glowing, red orb flickered on and off from behind the eye holes in the skull.

"_Duskull," _it cried and lunged straight at Drew's face. The boy winced and tried to throw his arms up to protect himself but his body was still frozen. But then, a volt of red static erupted all around the green-haired Coordinator, causing the Ghost Poke'mon to bounce off of him and shake its skull at the force. It wiggled around, annoyed, and disappeared back into a cloud of smoke before fading away. Strangely enough, the blackness didn't disappear. Drew was still being held captive and unable to move in this endless, dark void. That's when a powerful storm of rain pelted in and Drew had no choice but to let it soak him through to the skin. He had to constantly blink his eyes to keep the water droplets from seeping into his vision. Finally, a dense fog began forming far off in the distant shadows, and it was slowly moving towards him. As it neared, the fog began materializing into something else. A delicate face, long hair, creamy skin, lean legs, gentle hands. By the time the mist was next to him, it had taken on a very familiar form. Standing in front of him was an exact replica of Violet, only her entire being was nothing but that ghostly, transparent white, and her expression was so blank that her eyes bore no pupils or irises. Something in Drew's throat cracked.

"V-Violet?" he screeched out. He desperately tried to move his body again, but the only parts listening to him were his lips and eyes. His hands and arms lay limp; at least, Drew thought they did. He couldn't tell whether or not he was sitting, standing, or floating. The Violet doppelganger rose a hand, leaving a trail of fog in its wake, and gripped his shoulder. The lime-haired Coordinator clenched his eyes shut as a shearing pain ripped through him from the spot where he had been touched down into his stomach. He let out what would've been a scream had the mist emanating from the specter not smothered his mouth; the cry came out as a pain-ridden gasp. The familiar bolt of red energy whipped up the fake Violet's arm, making her pull back for a moment. The force continued to flicker around Drew for a moment as he struggled for air, his chest heaving with the effort. Then, he opened his emerald eyes again to stare at his most recent attacker. "Violet," he growled through his teeth again as he noticed a small rip in the chest of the old night gown that the Violet copycat wore. A few drops of ebony liquid seeped out of the tear and stained the shirt. Drew's gaze looked upward to the specter's face; its eyes that were once empty now began glowing an unnatural crimson. It got brighter and brighter until the sight made sheer terror rip through him and he was forced to look away. His stare fixated on the rip again, only to see that it was slowly becoming larger, and from beneath it more black blood gushed out. When the tear was large enough, it created a window straight to an unmistakable object hidden within the confines of the doppelganger's body. Inside, Drew saw the familiar shape, broken and tattered, and source of the black liquid. A lonely, broken heart.

A sharp pain shot through the green-eyed boy's chest and an abrupt gush of wind whirled around him. His weight returned to him and his consciousness of up, down, right, and left greeted his brain again. He could feel the cold, tiled floor beneath him and a not-so-gentle nudging against his searing shoulder. The sound of White Fang's familiar grunting made his eyes flutter open for him to find he was lying down next to a gravestone on the first floor of Mt. Pyre. He winced as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, grabbing White Fang for just a moment for support. He shook his head to clear his mind, but his shoulder still ached, so he slipped a hand underneath his shirt and pulled down the collar slightly to see a black and blue bruise painted on his right shoulder. He growled at it before letting his shirt go. That's when another bolt of red energy shot up around him, but this time it started from his leg. He gave it a strange look before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the red pendent; volts of this energy jumped out with it as the epicenter. Without much thought, Drew hung it around his neck and struggled to his feet.

"'_Saul," _the Absol growled and padded towards the next flight of stairs. Drew, leaving his and Violet's bags on the first floor, followed. No sooner than had they reached the second level, a pair of Duskull flew towards them. The Coordinator's sharp, green eyes quickly caught sight of them. "White Fang, go!" he cried and the Disaster Poke'mon leapt, a shadowy aura encased around its front two paws, and collided with the Ghost Poke'mon, making them fade away. The boy blinked; did White Fang just learn Night Slash? He didn't have time to ponder it because a Shuppet lunged at them from the other side. "Night Slash again!" he commanded. White Fang jumped once more and dismantled the dark puppet Poke'mon with its black-aura claws. Their way clear, the two made their way across the room, having to jump a few tombstones here and there, and up more stairs. The pair continued on this way, floor after floor, but after leaving the final step on the sixth flight of stairs, things were different. As soon as his foot came down on the tiled floor, he was thrust into pure darkness again. However, this time the ruby around his neck sparked, and a red aura encased itself around his body; he soon realized this granted him freedom to move in this dark realm. This time, White Fang stood beside him; he wasn't alone.

Standing before him was a wide throne. Drew instantly recognized familiar traits from the person sitting in it: mauve hair, green and white shirt, striped skirt, peach-like face, gentle hands, lean legs. Sitting in the throne wasn't a doppelganger, but the actual living, breathing Violet; her eyes, however, were as dull as the specter's before her had been.

"Violet," Drew choked out, dashing forward. It was then that a muscular, gray Poke'mon appeared behind the mauve-haired girl, its single, red eye fixated on Drew. "A Dusknoir," he grimaced. Things all made since now. "Dark Pulse!" he cried. Beside him, White Fang's fur bristled with black energy before it let loose a wave of darkness towards the Dusclops evolution. It rumbled and brought its hands together, forming an orb of shadows between them, then fired it at White Fang's attack. The two forces collided, rendering neither Poke'mon harmed. "Night Slash!" he growled. The Absol let loose a howl, summoning black flames around its paws, and leapt at the Dusknoir. It landed squarely on its shoulders, and the two Poke'mon went tumbling across the void of darkness. Leaving his battle partner to its work, Drew raced towards the throne to Violet. He reached out a hand but it was quickly intercepted with her own. Her lifeless eyes quickly became a ghostly red and her grip on his wrist tightened so hard he winced. With inhuman strength, she flung him backwards and stood up before dashing forward. His eyes went wide and he stood just in time to steady himself as she tackled him head-on. He slid backwards on his heels, but he had their hands locked and a clear view of her gray face.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded. "It's me!" The plum-topped girl gave him no answer, only pressed harder with her arms. Drew growled through his teeth, the sounds of Dusknoir and White Fang battling it out behind them ringing in his ears as her strength overwhelmed him and she literally brought him down to a knee. "Stop this!" he begged, looking up into her eyes; no sign of humanity was left in them. His injured shoulder burned insanely and he let out a gasp of pain, but Violet's strength was relentless. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of his face and the sound of a whimper hit Drew's ears as White Fang was tossed to the invisible, black floor in the background. His eyes clenched tight as a fiery, emotional pain welled up inside him and burst.

"I'm sorry!" he shouted. For a moment, Violet froze; her pushing stopped and her face actually held expression, that of surprise. Her mouth was pursed into what was almost an 'o' shape and the red faded from her eyes. The young top-Coordinator's own eyes blinked open. "I'm sorry …" he repeated. His sense of distance was lost in the dark void, but a ways off the Dusknoir turned its head towards its puppet at the sight of her reaction. "Night Slash, again!" Drew shouted.

"'_Saul!" _White Fang howled and flew into the large Ghost Poke'mon, its dark-covered claws sinking into the Dusknoir's shoulders.

"'_Nnnnnnnoooooooorrrrrrrr!" _it wailed as it faded away into the blackness. Drew watched the sudden change as Violet's eyes fell shut and her entire body went limp, tumbling to the floor. He shot his arms out to cradle her fall just in time, her weight sending sheering pain up into his shoulder again. He took a long, loud, deep breath and positioned the mauve-topped girl in his arms to examine her as the darkness around them melted away to leave only the cold walls of Mt. Pyre's interior. Drew winced at the pain in his shoulder and shifted Violet's body to his left arm.

"Violet.." he muttered in a voice so soft it was hardly a whisper. He tilted her chin up and gently brushed her bangs from her eyes with his finger tips; she was all but lifeless in his arms. His eyes scanned over her; he concentrated so intensely that he didn't even notice White Fang padding over to his side. She didn't have a single cut or bruise. He placed her wrist between his pointer finger and thumb; she had a pulse, but that didn't change the fact that she wasn't moving and it was scaring him senseless. With a sigh, his gaze shifted upwards and he did a quick scan of the area. The Dark Poke'mon glowered at him when their eyes met; it was the same look he had given earlier. _"How could you let this happen to her?"_ In his head, Drew kept asking himself the same question over and over again. A deep tension welled up behind his eyes and he shut them tightly. It took him a moment to realize that a salty drop of water had seeped out and was running down the side of his face.

"Don't cry, you idiot…" he muttered to himself. Images of Violet tackling him playfully, tickling him, and throwing her arms around his neck lovingly flooded his memory. Then the thought of her cowering in the corner of a run-down building with flames lapping at her came to mind, and then he remembered the scald on her arm and how he had tended to it. His gaze drifted down to the said arm; the skin was still swelled and pink from the burn. He let his fingertips outline the blister carefully as a drop of water from his eyes splashed down onto the tender skin. He heard himself sniffle as his own words echoed in his mind.

"_I don't have time for love."_

He still didn't know if it was true, not true, or something else entirely. His head throbbed as he tried to figure out what he was thinking; confusing thoughts haunted his mind more than anything. The young Coordinator wasn't sure whether or not he felt that way about her, but it was evident that he didn't want to lose her. For a moment, he almost scowled at himself for admitting any sort of emotion; he was supposed to be traveling with this girl to find out her weaknesses, not fall in love with her! But when he saw her lying limply in his arms, his heart lurched. There must be something there; Drew would never admit it out loud, but if nothing else he cared for her enough to want to protect her. A shiver shot down his spine and his body convulsed for a moment as it passed.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, leaning down so he could press his forehead to hers. Her body was so warm and he seemed to be freezing. He sighed slightly, thinking of the way she'd look at him or how disappointing she would be if he shot her down; it was obvious what she thought of him. His gaze took in her cute face and his lips pursed as he thought. _"She didn't deserve what I told her," _he said silently to himself. By the time he had thought this, his lips had neared her own. His heart jumped; if he were to do it now she might never know. Would he want her to know? His mouth inched closer until he felt his lips just barely brush against hers. Even though the contact was feather-light, he could already feel the outrageous softness.

"Drew," he heard her mutter; he felt her say it against his lips. He pulled back slightly, away from her mouth, to see her eyes flutter open to reveal her amethyst irises. He couldn't lie; his heart swelled when he saw life return to her face. His mouth opened to say something but no words came out. He thought about saying her name, but that would be too cliché.

He followed her gaze as it shifted to his shoulder. The struggle had sent his shirt ever so slightly astray and she could see into it to his shoulder.

"Did …" she began, blinking at the bruise that painted his shoulder. "… I do that to you?" The question was asked sincerely and gently; her voice seemed so fragile that it could disappear into thin air at any moment. A slow smile spread its way over his lips; for some reason, he couldn't help but to smile.

"No," he replied softly. "I did."


	17. Chapter 17

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 17: _Tomb of Horrors_

Drew trudged through the tall blades of grass, a hand on his Flygon's scaly foreleg as it worked its way through the brush beside him on all-four's. A mauve-topped female sat on the dragon Poke'mon's back, her eyes dipping into the limbo between consciousness and sleep. The boy on the ground noticed her posture failing as she leaned forward and lay down on top of Flygon's shoulders, wrapping her arms around the base of its neck. The green Poke'mon sang a quiet acknowledgement under its breath and glimpsed back at its rider with its gentle eyes that were hidden behind mounds of ruby before looking forward again and saying nothing else.

Drew's emerald eyes searched the land ahead of them; it bore nothing but a endless plain with waist-high grass as far as he could see. Jealousy flashed in his eyes as Violet nuzzled into Flygon's neck, drifting into a restless sleep, but he wouldn't dare ask his Poke'mon to carry two; it wasn't the most muscular of dragons.

He wasn't sure what hurt worse - the pulsing ache in the soles of his feet as he continued to walk over the boggy ground, or the searing pain in his right shoulder. Two of his fingers lifted his jacket and sweatshirt underneath so he could glare at the worsening bruise the size of a poke'ball. Dropping his clothes again, he pressed onward.

The two Coordinators continued on after the incidents at Mt. Pyre towards the city of Fortree, but the tree-dwelling village was a great deal of distance from Lilycove, and the land between the two places consisted of nothing but marshy wetlands. Drew was already sick of this place and would've liked nothing more than to crawl into a warm bed - even if it was in a treehouse.

"_Rrrreeeiigghhh," _chimed Flygon, glancing at its owner. Drew rose his hand and petted the dragon behind the head, wincing as he stretched his arm upward when it caused the muscles in his shoulder to strain. Trying to ignore the pain, he let thoughts of earlier that morning flood his brain. It had only been a few hours ago that he rescued Violet from the body-possessing Dusknoir on the top level of Mt. Pyre; that was why her body was still so weak. He remembered cradling her in his arms as she came to. A sudden heat rose to his cheeks as another memory came to mind. He consciously slid the tip of his tongue over his lips, remembering her soft lips barely touching his. For a moment he wondered if that could be considered a kiss. Was it? Out of boredom, he let himself ponder it. He wasn't even sure he wanted to kiss Violet; heck, he wasn't even sure if he had feelings for her. The thought racked his brain day and night. She was so childish and annoying. Normally, Drew wasn't even able to tolerate people like that. Why was he traveling with her again?

Then he remembered that he was supposed to be figuring out her weaknesses. That had been the only reason he chose to guide her to the National Grand Festival; so, by the time they got there, he would be able to defeat her in the contest. This struck him hard because he realized that he hadn't been searching for any weaknesses at all! He growled at himself; he had been rescuing her from something the whole time! The grassy-haired boy decided that it wasn't worth it and he should've left her in Lavender Town.

"_It definitely wasn't a kiss," _he decided in his mind.

"Drew," came the quiet voice from atop Flygon; Violet had been knocked out of her uneasy sleep.

"What?" he bit back, only a bit more harsh than he intended. His hand almost wanted to shoot out and grab the word before it got away so he'd be able to take it back. That's when his heart scolded him from the inside by making his chest cavern ache slightly. By the sound of her voice, however, the plum-haired girl either didn't notice or didn't mind.

"Where are we?" she asked groggily, her eyes half-lidded as she looked at him from Flygon's back. The question was meant innocently enough, but it made Drew's temple pulse in agitation; he had only told her a hundred times.

"A couple days from Fortree," he explained again through gritted teeth; it was all he could do to not explode.

"Oh," she said quietly, her lips in the perfect shape of an 'o'. Her yellow-gloved hand petted one of Flygon's horns, only to hear the dragon whinny and pull it away. Drew raised an eyebrow and glanced over at his Poke'mon to see it huff slightly as it lumbered on next to him. The dragon's green flanks seemed to twitch with every step.

"Stop," he said at once, bringing his feet and that of his Poke'mon to an immediate stop. Flygon's legs folded beneath it, and it hit the ground, belly down, before letting out a sigh. "Flygon's tired," he exclaimed in a monotone, reaching for a poke'ball at his waist. Violet's mauve eyes grew soft with sympathy and kissed the top of Flygon's head.

"Sorry, Flygon," she apologized.

"Get off," he ordered, holding the poke'ball up in his hand. The female Coordinator pouted, her bottom lip protruding slightly as she did, and clung even tighter to Flygon's neck, shaking her head back and forth childishly.

"I don't wanna!" she cried. Drew's eyes narrowed slightly as a flash of red light shot out from the poke'ball he was holding and engulfed the dragon-type Poke'mon. In a moment, it disappeared and jumped back into its poke'ball, causing its rider to drop to the marshy ground and into the tall grass. "Owww…" she whimpered, rubbing her backside before looking up at her traveling partner; the grass almost came up to her chin. Drew just looked down at her, his arms folded, and let an imaginary tugging curve his lips into a smirk.

"Just get up," he grumbled. Looking downcast, Violet staggered to her feet. The grass-haired boy watched as her lean legs twitched with the effort of supporting her weight. "Come on," he said, his voice softer, and turned to continue walking. A snivel escaped the plum-haired girl's lips as she took a wobbly step forward, then another. She clenched her fists tightly as she tried to walk; every movement was an effort for her weakened muscles. Suddenly, her foot gave way beneath her when she tried to take another step, and she clenched her eyes shut as she was sent tumbling down towards the large blades of grass.

The sound came from behind Drew, and he noticed it like he had super senses. He had pivoted and practically warped to her before she hit the ground, skillfully catching her in his arms. Her eyes blinked open, confused, as he cradled her for a millisecond before lifting her up higher, bridal style. He could feel her clothes slightly damp from having fell onto the ground, but he let a hard, piercing, emerald gaze stare down at her.

"You're hopeless," he growled, turning and walking with her a ways in the direction he was previously traveling.

"Y-you're… not gonna carry me the whole way are you?" Violet blubbered, a soft heat caressing her cheeks as she looked down and away from Drew's gaze.

"Hmph," he snorted, looking straight ahead. "Not even in your dreams!" He held back a wince as his bad shoulder tensed up, making his right arm twitch. Violet felt it beneath her.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, her blush disappearing.

"Fine," he grunted, stopping and standing still. "Let out Onyx Ice." The command was sudden, and Violet blinked, but she pressed the button on a poke'ball at her waist and the Sneasel appeared in a flash of white light, only to be almost consumed by the tall grass.

"Slash out a tiny clearing," Drew directed the Ice-Dark Poke'mon.

"_Sneaz," _it exclaimed, cocking its head sideways at the order from someone other than its Coordinator, but shrugged and slashed a couple times with its mighty claws, slicing through the blades of grass and clearing it away. _"Sneaz!" _it cried proudly, showing off its natural weapons. Drew looked down at the ground; it was all soggy.

"Reach behind me into my backpack and pull out a blanket," he said down to Violet. She rose a arm up and around Drew's neck, her finger tips brushing some of the lime-colored hair at the base of his neck as she did; this made her blush for just a second. Blindly popping open his bag, she fished around before pulling out a small, blue blanket. The male Coordinator motioned for her to drop it; she did and he lowered himself down to one knee before gently setting her down on it. His arms slid out from underneath her as he took in a deep breath of relief; the aching in his shoulder ebbed slightly. He sighed again before straightening out any and all wrinkles in the blanket.

"Call back Onyx Ice," he ordered. "And release Dark Thorn." Violet didn't question him, and returned her Sneasel to its poke'ball before releasing the wolf-like Poke'mon.

"_Rwarf!" _the Mightyena barked.

"Go find a stick," Drew directed. "A long one." Dark Thorn's tongue lolled out of its mouth and its ears shot up happily before it bounded off into the tall grass, disappearing from sight.

Drew reached into his bag again before pulling out an egg-shaped gadget and pressing a button on it, causing it to pop open and reveal a tiny screen; it was his Poke'Nav. A small glare danced across the screen, antagonizing him. The grass-haired boy glared at it. That was weird; the sun was in front of him. He looked down to find that the shine was emitting from the ruby-like pendent hanging from around his neck. Just then, he recognized a certain gaze being held over him.

"What is it?" he asked in a monotone before he had even looked up at Violet. She seemed to squeak as their eyes met, and she quickly looked away.

"Nothing," she muttered. Drew thought for a moment, pretending to look at the map on his Poke'Nav, then removed the necklace from around his neck and tossed it to his partner. She caught it clumsily in her gloved hands.

"There's your pendent back," he said.

"Um…thanks," she said. "Wish I had something to give you too." Drew rolled his eyes; why was she being so stupid?

"I'm not giving it to you. I'm returning it to you!" he scolded, averting his gaze, once again pretending to be interested in what was on his small machine's screen. "There's a difference," he added.

"I do have something for you though," she chirped as if he had never said anything disdainful at all. Drew experienced a major case of déjà vu as he rolled his eyes again. He watched as she removed a silver chain from around her neck and held it up to reveal a small Roselia carved from sterling silver dangling at the end of it. The boy blinked at it in surprise.

"When did you get that?" he asked, reaching out for it. She dropped it in his hand with a smile.

"Lilycove," she replied, grinning happily. He examined it; it was crafted excellently. He could see every single petal on the roses. Turning it over in his hand, he noticed an inscription. "Drew & Violet: Friends Forever," it read. A wave of sudden guilt gushed into his chest cavern from invisible holes in his skin. It flooded his insides, and his heart scampered around painfully as it tried to prevent from drowning.

"Thanks," he uttered under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear; he was speaking in monotone again. The green-haired Coordinator cleared his throat. "It's nice," he said, more emotion forced into his voice. Thoughts of a certain Violet Flame hidden somewhere in his backpack leaked into his mind. He leaned back onto the blanket, supporting himself on his arms; his right one twitched and he shifted his weight to the left. Racking his brain for a conversation, his gaze slowly danced over the mauve-topped girl.

"So…" he began. "How did you get to Mt. Pyre?" he asked. The question was stupid. "Possessed right?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I think so," she agreed, turning her head in thought but not meeting his eyes. They sat in silence for a moment before she spoke again. "I wonder why I got possessed?" she thought out loud. "That never happened to me back at Poke'mon Tower."

"People are more susceptible to possession from ghosts if they're troubled," Drew explained. He wasn't sure if he believed that, but that was what the chandlers in Poke'mon Tower had told him what seemed like a year ago. "Were you troubled that night?" he asked in a strangely polite voice; it was only after asking the question that he remembered how he had spent that night and why. He wish he could shove the question back into his mouth.

"Um…" she mumbled, acting like a kid who tip-toed around their words when they were in trouble. "Yeah," she finally admitted, the tip of her thumb's nail between her teeth. Drew's eyes absorbed the image; he thought it was cute. Then he mentally kicked the thought out of his mind.

"What was wrong?" he asked. He was already going with the ignorant persona; he might as well stick with it despite the fact that he knew exactly why Violet had been upset last night. She seemed to bite her tongue before answering.

"What you said…" she whispered.

"Right," he exclaimed; his voice went monotone again, but the guilt-ocean grew inside him. He delved into his thoughts again, looking for something to say. "I'm…sorry…" The words slipped out of his mouth before he realized it. A smile played peek-a-boo on Violet's lips.

"Yeah…" she murmured. "You said that at Mt. Pyre." Drew flinched; she remembered? If she remembered that, did she remember the kiss? Drew growled in his mind, reminding himself that there had been no kiss, and mentally slapped his forehead.

"Why'd you kiss me?" she asked suddenly. The question hit him like a pile of bricks, and he flinched again. He glimpsed down and traced his finger along a wrinkle in the blanket, stalling as he thought. Finally, he shrugged.

"I don't know," he answered, his voice once again emotionless; this was unlike the craziness that was ensuing in his brain.

"I thought you didn't have time for love?" she shot back; the girl retorted so quickly that Drew was surprised, to much to respond right away. This was the last conversation he wanted to have with Violet. Then, he realized that she had looked away. On further inspection, he noticed her shoulders were convulsing slightly. Was she crying? "I wish you'd make up your mind!" It came out as a sob; yes, she was crying. Drew swore he saw a spark fly from the top of her head before she whirled around, beads of liquid on the corner of her eyes. "Why do you rescue me and then act like I'm nothing to you? Why do you act like you hate the idea, and then you try to kiss me? Why do we almost kiss, then you never mention it?" Her voice rose, getting louder and louder, with each passing question. "Why are you doing this? What are we? What's wrong with me? Is it so bad that you can't stand to like me? Do you want to -"

"Violet!" The girl's words came to a halt as Drew's call shut her up. His eyes were downcast, his bangs covering them, and his body quivered. He thought it was from anger, but he wasn't sure. When he spoke, however, his voice was calm. "I can't answer any of those questions." By now the few tears had strolled down Violet's face, her eyes were glossy, and her hysterics made her body twitch ever so slightly.

"I don't know," he repeated. "My intentions are to get us to the National Grand Festival. Anything else that happens along the way …" He looked up at her, their eyes meeting. "I'm not going to fight for." Drew noticed as her bottom lip began trembling. "But," he added, making her eyes brighten just a bit. "I won't fight against it either." The words poured out of him; maybe it was the guilt-ocean flowing out of him.

"But…" Her words were so soft; he knew she was sincere in what she was about to say. Sadly, he knew what it was, and it was all he could do to prevent himself from rushing forward and clasping his hands over her mouth. "I like you," she finished. Drew broke their gaze, and clenched his eyes shut. He knew it had been coming but the statement hit him like a bullet. His ears screamed from what they just heard.

He peeked one eye open and then the other. She sat there, waiting for an answer; he knew she wanted to know whether or not he liked her, or wanted to have a relationship, or something like that - whatever it was girls wanted to hear. His first instinct was to shout out at her, "Tough luck!" but the thought alone made the guilt-sea swell up inside him again. She looked like such a child, waiting to see what her parents would say in response to her asking for a Ponyta. He racked his brain for what his parents used to tell him to keep him happy even though they actually meant 'no.' He took a long, deep breath before opening his mouth.

"We'll see," he sighed, blinking to show his fake calmness. He watched as her amethyst eyes lit up.

"Really?" she grinned. He nodded.

"Yeah. We'll see," Drew repeated. The trick worked. If she was happy, maybe things would return to normal before all this drama started. "Now drop the subject," he smirked, running a hand through his hair. She giggled at him; his 'cool' act was occupying her.

"_Geez," _he thought silently to himself. _"Why does she have to be so dramatic?"_

A familiar howl erupted in the distance; the Coordinators immediately recognized it as Dark Thorn. Sure enough, it was only a few moments later that the blade began to rustle as the muscular Mightyena slid into their makeshift clearing, a long stick wedged between its jaws. Drew looked it over. It was approximately between three and four feet long and was a bit crooked in some places. The bark was dropping off here and there, but that didn't matter; the bark would be the first to go anyway.

The boy rubbed the hyena-like Poke'mon's head, scratching behind its ears as it dropped the limb down onto the blanket. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his mauve-haired companion turned her head in confusion.

"What are you going to do with that?" she asked; the carefree edge in her voice had returned.

"You'll see," he responded, almost letting a chuckle slip. That's when a loud rumble rolled over in the distance. Drew looked up to see a large mass of gray clouds hovering ominously over the marshlands. A sudden gush of wind rushed by, sending Drew's and Violet's hair into arrays. The clouds lit up for a moment before a rumbling sound echoed towards their ears.

"Let's move," he said quickly as he started to shove things into his backpack. He thrust the tree limb into the mauve-haired girl's hands. "Use it as a walking stick," he explained quickly with a roll of his eyes when she gave him a confused look. The green-eyed Coordinator slung his luggage onto his shoulders as Violet staggered to her feet through the aid of the makeshift walking stick, her legs trembling slightly as she stood.

"C'mon," he uttered and started trucking through the tall grass again, towards the storm. Violet's eyes got slightly wilder and she didn't walk, clinging onto the limb.

"We're going to go towards the dark, scary clouds?" she squeaked nervously. Drew eyed the clouds for a moment before replying.

"Yep," he said carelessly, not waiting for his companion as he trudged onward. He could hear her whine behind him before she started waddling her way after him, screeching a loud "Don't leave me!" as she did.

The pair lumbered on ahead into the stormy air. Drew's green eyes stayed fixated on the fluffy horizon ahead where the grass billowed wildly in the wind, hoping to see some form of shelter or maybe at least a cluster of tall trees. It looked like his hair as the wind tossed it up in different directions; he couldn't notice any place to find refuge from the upcoming downpour. His ears listened out for his companion limping behind him. He could hear every bristle she made as she pushed through the grass, every footstep she made on the boggy ground, every crunch her walking stick made when she put it down, and every puff of breath that escaped her lips as she trudged on. The split of senses prevented Drew from maintaining his full vision; he didn't notice the large ridge of rock jutting up into the sky off to his left. That's when a single flash of light lit up the sky and was soon followed by a deep rumbling. The storm was getting closer. Suddenly, a smaller flash of white light shot out past the corner of his eye.

"'_Saul!" _White Fang grumbled as it materialized from the white light. Drew turned on his heel to meet the white Poke'mon's crimson stare.

"What?" he asked, his voice edgy from the sound of coming rain.

"'_Saul!" _it barked again, and raced off to Drew's left, disappearing over a hill.

"Fang, wait!" Violet cried and made an effort to rush after him, only for her feet to fall out from underneath her and sending her walking stick astray as she tumbling towards the grass. She shut her eyes tight and whirled downwards, her hair flying around her face, her muscles tensing as she braced for impact, and her eyes clenching shut. Then she felt a pair of arms quickly wrap around her as she fell into them. Her eyes fluttered open to see a skeptical Drew looking down at her.

"I'm beginning to think you're doing this on purpose," he huffed, shuffling her around in his arms before lifting her higher so he could carry her comfortably. The corner of his eye twitched to copy the muscle spasm going on in his shoulder, but he ignored it.

"Is not!" she pouted, crossing her arms and making her lower lip puff outward. Her purple gaze shifted downward to his chest, away from his face. A smirk tugged on Drew's lips as he rolled his eyes.

He carried Violet through the tall grass in the direction White Fang had disappeared. As he walked, he noticed the large mound of rock jutting up out of the earth. It grew larger and larger until Drew was standing at the base of a hill leading straight up to it. A loud clap of thunder sounded from the gray sky as the green-haired boy noticed the white figure of his former Absol standing in front of a cave entrance that opened up at the base of the small mountain.

"'_Saul!" _it barked before turning and dashing into the darkness.

Drew's green gaze scanned the area as he trekked up the hill. The main rock mass in the center was surrounded by six smaller rock mounds spread out in a circle.

"What is this place?" he heard Violet ask, her voice laced with innocent curiosity. He glanced down at her, her body folded up slightly as she huddled against him; the young top-Coordinator noticed a chill run up the length of her arm. She must be cold from the upcoming storm.

"Not entirely sure," he muttered before glancing back up and stomping up towards the miniature mountain. "But at least it'll be someplace dry to wait out that storm." Suddenly, lighting crashed over head and was immediately followed by a loud boom of thunder. Drew felt Violet convulse in his arms as she let out a loud squeak. Almost in response to the sound of her cry, a large dollop of rain soared down and dotted Drew between the eyes. Then another drop splashed against his face, then another, and then another. In a matter of seconds, rain was pelting down over the two young Coordinators. Violet let out another squeal as she buried her face in Drew's shirt, and the mint-topped boy threw his head downward to block the rain from his eyes.

"This storm I meant," he growled and started to rush. Searing pain shot through his shoulder as he heaved the weight of his companion; his legs were soon to follow and started to burn with the effort of supporting them both. Luckily, the hill wasn't that tall, and he managed to quickly reach the top before trudging into the darkness of the mountain with hesitation.

By the time they had gotten far enough into the cave to be dry, both Coordinators were drenched to the skin and Drew's breath was heavy. He kneeled down and set Violet down on the cold but dry cave floor and leaned forward, putting his weight on his hands as he panted for air. His head hung low, he gulped deeply and let water droplets run off his hair, over his forehead, down his nose, and drip off its tip. It took him only a few moments to recover, but it was enough to make Violet raise a hand to his soaked shoulder. He flinched at the touch as it was his injured left shoulder.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, raindrops decorating her face. Drew didn't look up at her.

"Fine," he grunted; the words seemed to jump back into his throat and he swallowed them after speaking. His body twitched ever so slightly as he fumbled around for a moment and then sat down. He stripped himself of his purple jacket and tossed it a few feet away. "Here," he said quietly, holding his hands out. "Take your gloves off." Despite the instruction for her to do it, he removed her yellow, finger-less gloves for her when she raised her hands. They followed his lavender coat. "We need to wear as little -" A shiver shot down his spine, cutting him off for a moment, but he shook it off. "… wet clothes as possible," he finished.

Finally taking the time to, he tried to glance around but could barely see the faint outline of his companion; the cave was just too dark. He sighed and tucked his knees up, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his chin against them. A rustling sound a few feet away in the darkness reached his ears. He could easily tell it was the sound of hands and knees pattering across the cave floor.

"What are you -" He was suddenly cut off when he felt her torso pressed snuggly against his side and her arms around him. It felt like a gallon of blood had just rushed up to his face.

"Body heat … Right?" she murmured in the darkness, shifting around to his front; her arms dropped back down to her sides. He could hear the nervousness in her voice.

Drew's knees went back down to their normal positions, followed by his arms; these movements seemed to natural, he surprised himself when he done them. Then he felt her head lower and rest against his right shoulder, her body pressed against his front. He opened his mouth to protest but then felt the warmth of her body heat gush through him. In his mind, he sighed with relief. He nodded his head gently to give her some sort of acknowledgement; then, he made a motion to wrap his arms around her. The green-topped boy didn't have any target in mind but when his arms reached her, it was her waist they wrapped so perfectly around. The action seemed so strange and yet so normal at the same time; Drew couldn't explain it. Then, a quick scolding erupted for his brain's walls.

"_You're digging your own grave!" _he yelled to himself from inside his mind. _"You're going to make her think this is okay!"_ …. Was this okay? He asked himself that question. That's when he felt her cheek nuzzle into his shoulder. Her non-gloved hand rested against his chest. For once, his gray sweatshirt felt so incredibly thin that Drew felt bare-chested. Even through the shirt he could tell how soft and gentle her hands were.

Like her lips …

The thought passed through Drew's mind for just a split second before he shook it away. Her arms wrapped around his own waist without warning. For a moment, Drew flinched, but then realized her intention. With a happy sigh, she squeezed his sides sweetly; she hugged him. As if almost by instinct, the green-haired boy returned the sign of affection. That's when he realized, whether he would ever admit it or not, that if this was okay or not, he really didn't care.

Drew woke up to the steady beat of rain pelting on the cave from outside. His eyes blinked open but he still saw only darkness. A deep rumbling noise reached his ears as his foot nudged something soft. White Fang's crimson gaze shot open in what seemed the endless void known as the cave. It growled before closing its eyes again and lowering its head so it could return to its resting position on the other side of Violet. … Violet? The green-haired boy could still feel her cuddled up against him. He could tell that his clothes were dry now, and this suddenly made him feel as if his traveling companion was too close. The boy shifted slightly, pulling the mauve-haired Coordinator over to his side. He heard her stir and mumble something in her sleep. His arms and hands froze, holding her still in what seemed like mid-air. The cold cave floor seemed a mile away when his injured left shoulder started to twitch with the effort of holding up the purple-eyed girl. Hearing her settle into sure sleep again, he gently set her on the ground. That's when he felt a pulling on his gray sweatshirt. His temple twitched in annoyance before he looked down. Her hands were fisted in the gray cloth and seemed to be determined to stay. With a sigh, he pried her hands away, a finger at a time, and lowered them down onto her stomach. Then, he pushed himself to his feet, careful not to step on anything or anyone. He mentally made an 'ick' sound when he realized the part of his sweater that Violet had been laying on was still damp. He rolled his green eyes in the darkness before pulling the shirt over his head, once again wincing at his shoulder. Shirt off and draped across an arm, he reached up and massaged his left shoulder tenderly, gritting his teeth. The skin there felt warmer than the rest and was probably still purple but the dark of the cave wouldn't let him confirm that.

Feeling his way through the murkiness, he found his bag and lay his shirt down next to it before rummaging around in it until he pulled out a smooth, almost round object. He felt for the large button in the center before pressing it. The little machine flipped open, letting its artificial light illuminate the cave. He scrolled through the application until coming to the map. A 'no signal' flashed across the screen and he glared back at the red letters. Annoyed, he ran a hand through his hair. It seemed sweaty; it was probably the humidity. The sound of rain echoed to his ears again.

Suddenly, the sound of falling rocks met his ears and his entire body jumped. He immediately swiveled the light to the back of the cave to see a few pebbles dripping from a stalactite at the top of the cave; some larger rocks lay in a pile beneath it on the floor. His eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to his small range of sight, as he took a couple deep breaths. Why was he so jumpy? Turning the light on his sleeping companion, he looked her over. Her form was cuddled up, and White Fang was curled up next to her; she was out like a light. A sudden curiosity flared up inside him. Using the Poke'Nav as a guide, he slowly started walking into the apparent endless darkness towards the back of the cave.

Drew wondered through the cave. The air was very dry and kind of windy so inhaling it made his lungs sting. Stone rubble crumbled beneath his feet as he walked. He had to keep side-stepping to make sure pebbles from falling rocks wouldn't drop on his head.

The green-haired boy walked for what seemed like half an hour. He could no longer hear the rumbling sounds of White Fang sleeping behind him or the pitter-patter of rain outside the cave. Strangely, the cave walls were getting wider and wider until eventually they were so far apart that Drew could flash the light of his Poke'Nav in either direction and not be able to see the wall.

"Maybe I should be heading back," the Coordinator thought out loud to himself, scanning the dark area in front of him. That's when the light illuminating from his hand flickered for a moment before sputtering out, submerging him in total blackness. His footsteps froze immediately. Growling, he shook the Poke'Nav and hit it gently with his free hand. "Don't go out on me now!" he rumbled. He continued to smack it for a good minute or more; maybe if he hit it enough it would get angry and flicker back to life. Giving up, he shoved it into his pocket and growled again.

His emerald eyes tried to look around but it didn't even look like his eyes were open at all. He gently took a step forward, although he wasn't entirely sure why; his sense of direction was lost with the light. As his foot came down, he felt a large lump form underneath it, but it was too late, and he came tumbling down. He grunted as he landed, then sighed through his teeth. The cave floor was cold and rough against his bare skin, not to mention that the sudden movement sent a painful twinge through his shoulder.

He lay there on the ground for a moment; it wasn't like he was getting anywhere anyway. A gentle stinging emitted from multiple places on his chest. He nudged himself up a bit before feeling along the sore spots. It was ever so slightly wet and didn't comply well with his touch; he had probably just skinned himself or received a few scratches.

Groaning, he pushed himself to his feet and reached for a poke'ball at his waist. A flash of white illuminated the cave for a split second before disappearing.

"_Rrrraaaaiiiiinnnn…" _his Masquerain sang, confused.

"We're in a cave," he explained. "Think you can get us out?"

"_Rrraaiinn," _it replied. Masquerain had really large antennae so maybe it would be able to feel its way out of the cave; or at least, Drew hoped so.

Sure enough, Masquerain was able to at least navigate the cave. He followed it purely by letting his ears guide him. It was a faith that Drew didn't like to have, but he didn't have much of a choice. He seemed to follow the moth Poke'mon around for an hour before he felt a gentle breeze brush up against his face. Surprised, he trudged forward. Suddenly, the air around him completely changed. Everything seemed more open, and the air didn't sting his throat. Still slowly, but more confident, he walked forward. Masquerain was fluttering in the nearby distance, exploring the new area. Hand outstretched, he kept walking. When he felt his fingertips brush up against a rough stone, his feet stopped. He ran his hand in wide arcs over the stone; it was pretty large. Beneath his palm were precise, little indentions all over. What were they?

"Masquerain, get over here!" No sooner than he had opened his mouth, the cave instantly lit up. His eyes clenched shut tightly and he threw an arm up to shield himself; his pupils burned from the sudden light-change. Slowly, he squeamishly opened an eye lid. He didn't have time to adjust because a large orb of static energy was barreling through the air in his general direction. His command was impulsive.

"Silver wind!" he cried. The attack was intercepted with a quick toss of silver-aura'ed gusts from his beloved Poke'mon. The powers collided and blew smoke up into the cave air. He waved his arms wildly in an attempt to clear it so he could see. A really, REALLY loud rumble thundered as the cave beneath Drew began to shake. An earthquake? No, footsteps. That's when a gigantic, metallic Poke'mon lumbered into the rock-clearing, six crimson dots on its face blinking on and off in a pattern.

"Registeel!" he realized, his green eyes going wider. They quickly narrowed, the fire of battle flickering inside him. "Silver wind, again!" he ordered.

"_Rrraaaiiinnn!" _Masquerain cried, beating its antennae wildly. It whipped up another crazy, glowing gust that rocketed towards the legendary steel-type Poke'mon.

"_GGGIIIIIIIIIII!" _it bellowed from no mouth as the attack collided with its metal-skin. It seemed to bounce off before fading away into nothing; it was completely ineffective. It reared its head back slowly before tipping forward and forming another large orb of electricity between its long, metal arms. The orb shot away from it like a jet and whistled towards the green-haired Coordinator. Drew could hear his Poke'mon cry and his own scream as the energy rammed into him. It dissipated quickly, but he was thrown back into the air and then landed roughly on the hard ground, sliding across it. He grunted loudly as he did, then groaned in pain. It felt like his back and been filleted by a sharp rock, and it stung something horrible. He didn't want to move but the victory cry of Registeel made him struggle to a knee. The crash had put pressure on his shoulder too, and now it was burning like the rest of his body. He forced a labored breath. A throbbing pain was forming in the back of his head, and it wouldn't let him think.

"_Rrrraaaiiinnn!" _his Poke'mon wailed as it was slapped hard with a glowing, metal arm. It landed hard on the ground much like Drew had.

"Masquerain!" he cried, reaching out for the moth. He made an attempt to jump to his feet, but only crumbled to his knees again. A maelstrom of pain pulsed through his body; he reached for his head to see if he could ease the pounding. Even the loud roaring of Registeel seemed foggy. He took a deep breath; even that caused his chest to hurt. Then, he let it out in one, humongous bellow.

"VIOLET!"


	18. Chapter 18

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 18: _A Spoonful of Sugar_

Violet's eyes shot wide open as the scream echoed through the cave to her ears. She twisted this way and that, trying to get her bearings. All she could feel was the cold cave floor beneath her, not the warmth of Drew's body.

"Drew!" she called, glancing around in the darkness. She couldn't see anything. Then, she was nudged by a gentle, furry head.

"'_Saul," _barked White Fang as its crimson eyes blinked open in the blackness. It's voice was calm.

"Drew!" the mauve-haired girl cried again but received no response. That's when a faint yell bounced off the cave walls towards her ears once more. It was distorted by the tunnel and was muffled from the distance. "That sounded like Drew…" she muttered under her breath. Her heart tripped in her chest. "We've got to go help him," the Coordinator squeaked and pushed herself to her feet, only to have her knees buckle and crumble beneath her; she was still weak from Mt. Pyre.

"'_Saul!" _White Fang growled, rushing to her side. Not being able to see it, Violet felt it press its lean form against her side for support.

"I'm okay," she whispered to the disaster Poke'mon, petting it with a hand before getting to her knees and taking a deep breath. Her eyes strained to see through the blackness, but to no avail.

"'_Saul," _White Fang exclaimed, nudging her waist with a large, wedge-shaped paw.

"Good idea, Fang," she smiled, reaching for one of the poke'balls that outlined her waist. "Ghost Ring!" she called, tossing a poke'ball into the dark. The cave lit up for a moment before the poke'ball jumped back into her hand and another pair of crimson eyes blinked back at her.

"_Umbre'!"_ it rumbled, its little paws padding over to her.

"Ghost, think you can give us some light?"

"_Bre'!" _the dark Eevee-evolution barked as its gold rings started giving off a faint glow that gently grew brighter. Then, another scream echoed through to Violet's ears. She could see her Poke'mon perk in response to it as well.

"That's definitely Drew!" she exclaimed, using White Fang for support as she struggled to her feet again. "Okay, guys. We've got to find him!" The two dark Poke'mon exchanged looks with each other and then glanced at their owner's wobbling legs before nodding and bounding towards the back of the cave. Violet nodded too and jumped after them. Her ankles twitched and twisted slightly, knocking her off balance, but she caught herself and pushed onwards, forcing her legs to run as she followed her Poke'mon into the darkness towards her companion's screams.

"_RRRREEEEEEEEEIIIGGGHHHHH!"_ the legendary steel Poke'mon bellowed, a huge ray of electrically energy forming between its large, metal arms and then rocketing outwards in Drew's general direction. His head flew upwards and he saw the attack rushing towards him. Summoning energy from an unknown source, he rolled across the cave floor out of the way. He growled loudly as rocks rubbed his injuries the wrong way. The long, searing pain down his back burned like it was on fire; his shoulder was pulsing insanely now, and the throbbing in his head steadily grew worse - even to the point where his vision was beginning to fail him.

"Bubblebeam!" he croaked out. He could hear his moth Poke'mon flutter just above the ground, its cry weak, but it shot the rapid-fire of large bubbles at Registeel.

"_GGGGIIIII!" _the steel Poke'mon roared as the bubbles collided with its impregnable skin and popped on contact, doing absolutely nothing. The large legendary raised a metal arm and seemed to brush off where the water spheres had hit. That's when a mass of sparkles gathered between its two arms, its center slowly seeming to becoming more solidified. _"RRREEEIIIGGGHHHH!" _it roared as the sphere flew towards Masquerain.

"_Rraaaiiiinnnn..!" _it screeched on contact as it was tossed up and backwards, being thrown against the back wall of the cave.

"Masquerain!" Drew growled, worried for his Poke'mon. There was no way it could take too many more hits from Registeel. "Return!" he cried, holding out a poke'ball.

"_Rrraaiinn…." _it sang gratefully as it was engulfed in a red light and disappeared inside its capsule. He took a deep breath and was about to reach for Flygon's poke'ball when another silver blast from Registeel zoomed towards him. He noticed it coming too late and looked up just as it exploded into the ground directly in front of him, tossing rocks up into the air. A stone shard sliced through the air and struck his face as another one, much larger, went tumbling down onto his back. He howled out in pain; the stone seemed to peel the skin right off him, and the searing went right down to his spine.

"_GGGGIIIII!" _Registeel howled as it began to regenerate another silver sphere. Drew's eyes had been clenched tight as he tried to cope with the pain, but now one eye peeked open to see the legendary preparing its next attack. He couldn't bare to look and groaned as he closed his eye again. He lay there on the ground, his stinging face pressed into the dirt on the cave floor, his bare torso burning from countless scratches, and waited for the next assault.

"Double dark pulse!" The sudden command made Drew's eyes blink open just in time to see a familiar Absol and Umbreon leaping into the lit-up area of the cave, dark waves of energy pulsing from their bodies.

"'_Saul!"_

"_Bre'!" _The two Poke'mon cried as the dark pulses raged outwards and collided with Registeel.

"_GGGIIIIIII!" _it thundered, stumbling back slightly.

Drew saw Violet quickly limp in after her Poke'mon's attacks. Unsteady as though she was, she stood completely on her own, poised for battle. Then, she looked down and her eyes locked with Drew's.

"Drew!" she cried and raced to his side, stumbling only once before regaining her balance. She dropped to her knees and the green-haired boy could practically feel her eyes scan over his scratched up body.

"What took you so long?" he whispered, one corner of his mouse twitching upwards in a forced smile. He could feel her trace a wound along his back with her finger tips and it made him want to scream it hurt so badly.

"_GIIII!" _Registeel rumbled again, generating another electrical sphere between its arms before shooting it outwards.

"Shadow ball!" Violet declared as if it was on an impulse.

"_Ab-saul!" _cried White Fang, shooting an orb of darkness to counter the larger attack. The two orbs collided, creating an explosion and pounds of smoke.

"Distract it with quick attack!" the mauve-haired girl ordered.

"_Umbre'!" _cried Ghost Ring and bolted off between Registeel's legs, leaving a stream of white light behind it.

"_GGIIII!" _Registeel pivoted ever so slightly to follow the Umbreon and seemed to be knocked off balance for a moment.

"_Bre'!" _Ghost Ring barked again, bolting away once more at top speed. That's when Registeel's long, metal arm began glowing a bright white and it started swinging around wildly at the speedy Eevee-evolution. Violet's eyes followed her Poke'mon, worried.

"Fang, help Ghost!" she ordered.

"'_Saaaauuuulllll!" _it howled loudly, its crimson eyes glittering. Out of no where, a huge tidal wave appeared and rose up behind the Absol_. "Ab-saul!" _it barked and whirled its head around and the wave grew even more before crashing down onto Registeel. The legendary Poke'mon's cries were heard as it was washed back into the deeper depths of the cave. The remaining swirl whirled around, lifting Drew, Violet, and her two Poke'mon up off the ground and into the steadily growing sea. Drew felt the water surge into his wounds, not knowing whether to scream or sigh. Then, before he realized it, his head was underwater. He could see red mist fan out around him - blood; the green-haired boy wasn't sure if it was his own or not. A steady thudding started pounding on the inside of his chest. The water all around him seemed to be pushing on his torso, straight through the wounds, and compacting his lungs. He could feel his eyes flutter against his will; his sight was fading out on him, much like his consciousness. In fact, the last thing he saw was an array of mauve hair floating down towards him before he blacked out.

Drew regained consciousness due to a steady, faint beeping off in the distance. It grew louder and louder until it sounded as if it was right next to him. He could feel a gentle weight on his lap, a softness beneath his body, and a cool breeze in the air around him. That's when he realized the pain in his shoulder, head, back, and the rest of his body wasn't nearly as bad; in fact, it hardly existed at all. All that remained was an ever so slight numbness and some slight pressure. Inhaling, he slowly opened his eyes, only to immediately shut them again; his eyes had opened to nothing but blinding white. A moment later, he opened them again, more slowly this time. At first, his vision was blurry, but he was able to blink that away. He lay in a soft bed, and he could hear the beeping of machines around him. A chair sat across from the foot of the bed, a window sitting next to it on the wall which let in warm sunlight. In his lap, lay a curled up Vaporeon; it was his own Poke'mon. He rose a hand, slowly at first as if to test his own strength, and petted its smooth head. That's when he saw the piece of tape that covered an IV stuck into a vein on the back of his hand. His green gaze studied it for a moment before he did a mental scan of his body. He could feel a gauze tapped to his right cheek, a few bandages around his forehead, larger bandages around his torso, and a simple but tight brace on his left arm that went all the way up to his shoulder and hooked around his neck.

"_A hospital," _he thought in his head as he continued to run his fingers over Vaporeon's head and up the side of its fin-like ear. He kept looking around the small room, just now noticing that his purple bag sat in the chair across from him. Another familiar black knapsack sat beside it. That meant Violet was here. Memories of being back in the cave flooded his mind. He remembered White Fang flooding the entire underground rock-clearing, and himself sinking slowly into its depths. Now, he lay comfortably in a hospital bed, curious as to how he got here. That's when the wooden door to the room opened and a well-known woman with cherry-pink hair and a clipboard pranced in, her high-heeled shoes clacking against the tiled floor.

"Ah. It's so good to see you awake," smiled Nurse Joy.

Nurse Joy? That must mean … he was at a Poke'mon Center?

"Am I -" he was cut off when a sudden hitch caught in his throat; it was as if his vocal cords had forgotten their job. He took a quick breath before clearing his throat and trying again. In the back of his mind he was unsure, but this time his voice worked.

"Am I at a Poke'mon Center?" he asked.

"Why yes," the woman replied sweetly. "In Fortree City."

"Fortree City?" Drew echoed, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "How did I -" He cut himself off when someone walked into the room behind Nurse Joy. He blinked again as the plum-topped Coordinator bounced in, her hands hiding cutely behind her back as she beamed at him.

"Hi!" she grinned, flashing her white teeth and a gentle wave. In an instant, Drew pieced everything together.

"Violet?" he gasped, jolting the sleeping Vaporeon in his lap.

"_Ve'?" _it mewed, blinking awake.

"You sa-" Drew's voice caught up again; he wasn't sure if this was from shock or just his weak state. "You saved me AND found your way to Fortree?"

"That's right!" Violet giggled, tip-toeing over to his bedside. The green-haired boy starred back at her, wide-eyed.

"B-b-but…" he stuttered. "How?" A giggle escaped the girl's lips.

"I'm smart like that!" she chuckled, giving a wink and pointing to her noggin. The wide-eyed expression never left the boy's face as he flopped backwards, letting his head it the hospital pillow.

"Oh! You're going to hurt your head again!" Nurse Joy fretted over the Coordinator in the hospital bed, tapping over to his side and placing a hand on his forehead where his bandages were. But Drew didn't feel any physical pain; he guessed he was full of drugs that numbed him. He was in shock! Violet? How could SHE save HIM? Wasn't he always the one saving her? Had he entered an alternate reality? How did she even FIND Fortree? He glared up at the shiny ceiling as these thoughts ran through his mind. Meanwhile, the Vaporeon that still sat on top of him tilted its head to the side worrisomely. Its dainty paws padded up Drew's body and stopped on his chest before licking his cheek that wasn't covered in gauze cutely. This shifted him out of his thoughts. He managed a tiny smile for the bubble jet Poke'mon's sake.

"I think you better get back in your poke'ball, Vaporeon," he advised gently.

"_Ve'," _the little blue creature replied with a nod before giving its owner another lick and bounding off the bed where it jumped back into its poke'ball in a flash of red light.

Drew could feel a gaze on him. He looked to see Violet glaring at him slightly with her hands on her hips.

"Vaporeon was just trying to make you feel better!" she exclaimed. "Why'd you'd send it away?"

Drew couldn't find it in himself to raise his voice. He felt kind of groggy and just weak in general.

"I just want to rest," he explained, running a hand through his bangs and then holding it to his forehead; it was beginning to pulse again. In fact, his back and shoulder was starting to hurt again too.

"Drew, are you alright?" the amethyst-eyed girl asked, nearing his bedside. Drew felt her place a gloved hand on top of his, but he instantly pulled it away.

"Fine," he mumbled, grabbing his covers and pulling them up to his shoulders before turning over onto his right side, away from the two females.

"His pain medication is probably wearing off by now," Nurse Joy hypothesized. Violet frowned at the back of the green-haired boy's head; the bandages crimped his hair and made it look dull.

"Can you get him anymore?" the girl asked the nurse hopefully.

"I'm afraid not, dear," the cherry-haired woman replied with a sincere shake of her head. "We need it for Poke'mon. This is a Poke'mon Center after all. We normally don't even work with human patients at all." An exasperated sigh escaped Violet's lips, and she placed a gentle hand on Drew's injured shoulder. He flinched at the contact, which he could feel even through the sling, but he wasn't sure if the flinch was from physical or emotional discomfort.

"Sorry, Drew," the purple-topped Coordinator muttered. "Feel better soon, okay?"

Drew gazed across the dimly lit stadium to see an unknown figure standing tall with a poke'ball in hand. That's when two spotlights erupted from the ceiling and poured down like a veil over him and the other contestant. He winked as he flicked his hair with a couple fingers before enlarging the poke'ball in his hand.

"Roselia, go!" he cried as he tossed the poke'ball high into the air. The familiar rose-bearing Poke'mon leapt out of its capsule in a flash of white light and then twirled down gracefully onto the stage.

"Beedrill, show time!" announced his opponent as a buzzing bee Poke'mon jumped out of its poke'ball, needles shining. Drew smirked as he called out the first attack.

"Petal dance, Roselia!" he ordered.

"_Roooossssrrrr!" _it sang and extended its flowers. A couple pink petals sputtered out from the center of the roses, but that was it. Drew blinked repeatedly, his eyes wide. His stance faltered and he stood there, dumbfounded.

"Roselia!" he scolded. "What happened?"

"_Rrrooosss," _it supposed, shrugging its skinny arms.

"Beedrill, use twineedle!" called the other Coordinator.

"_Bzzt! Bzzt!" _buzzed the bug as it zipped towards Roselia, stingers extended. Drew seemed to stumble over the air between his feet; he couldn't think of a counter!

"Dark pulse!" came a familiar shout from behind him. Over his shoulder he saw Violet standing there as Shadow, her cloak hiding her sparkling eyes and billowing out behind her despite the fact that there was no wind. White Fang leapt out from behind its owner, a black aura around its body. Then, waves of dark energy rippled from its snowy fur and pulsed towards Beedrill. The attack hit and the bug Poke'mon was thrown backwards where it zoomed into a wall and hit the ground with a 'thud'.

As it hit the ground, White Fang pivoted to look at Drew. Its crimson eyes starred back into his own, a mocking flame dancing it their depths. The green-haired boy glared, gritting his teeth. That stupid Absol had always been a thorn in his side!

"Why you - !" he growled under his breath and made a mad dash for the disaster Poke'mon.

"'_S-s-s-s-saul," _it snickered, a smirk curving its lips and a single glinting tooth sticking out from its mouth. Just as Drew's foot came down in front of the Absol, a loud 'crack' it his ears. Suddenly, the stage beneath him began to collapse. It turned into earth and began crumbling under his feet_. "Saul!" _White Fang howled triumphantly and leapt high into the air before fading into darkness.

A large crevice split through the ground between Drew's shoes, and he glanced down to see a river of boiling gold and scarlet lava. The two pieces of stone began drifting apart, taking his legs with them. He looked this way and that before leaping onto the one on his right. As both his feet came down, he heard another loud 'crack'. His green eyes scanned what used to be a stage, but was now a field of cliffs that towered over an endless drop into a magma-filled pool. The stadium ceiling had been replaced with a fading red sky filled with smoke from the lava beneath him. He coughed as he inhaled some; it tasted horrible and stung his throat. That's when the rock face below him began to disintegrate. Piece by piece it started to fall. His eyes went wide, and he jumped just as the rock fell from under his feet. His body flung forward and he managed to grab onto the remaining of the overhang. Gravity dragged him down the side of the cliff, closer to the molten rock. His finger tips dug into the rock and he slowly came to a stop, but dangled helplessly between the crag and the lava.

"Drew!" he heard the familiar call of his name. He looked up to see Violet kneeling down on the cliff, her hood down and the flames beneath him reflecting in her sparkling, amethyst eyes. "Give me your hand!" she cried, stretching a hand down towards him.

"No!" he bit back, glaring up at her. The girl's hand shrunk back, and an expression of hurt spread across her face. "I can do it myself!" Drew proclaimed as the heat beneath them swirled up, sending his hair into a fray and sparks into his eyes. He shut them tight and shook his head at the stinging, but as he did, he felt his fingers slip from the rock. His eyes went wide, but he didn't have time to make any reaction. As soon as his hands had lost their hold, he felt his body fall. He was pulled down like a bullet, the heat growing more and more intense. He could hear his screams mingle with that of Violet's above as a searing pain shot through his body.

Drew's eyes shot open, and he bolted upright in the hospital bed. He could feel the cold sweat drip down his skin, and his heart seemed to be pounding out of his chest. The boy gulped for air for what seemed like ten minutes before he looked around the room.

The sleeping form of Violet lay sprawled out in the chair across the room. Her eyes fluttered a moment before opening to reveal mauve irises.

"Drew?" she murmured after scanning the room and then letting her eyes fall on him. "What's wrong?" the purple-topped girl asked, turning her head sideways in that cute way that she always does. Drew hid his glare and dropped his head back down onto the pillow.

"I'm fine," he grumbled as he pulled the covers back up over his shoulder, wincing as he did. His pain medication had obviously worn off.

"You sure?" Violet pressed, standing up and walking over to Drew's beside. He felt her hand gently rest on his shoulder again, but he shrugged it off. A twinge of discomfort shot up his shoulder, but he ignored it.

"I'm fine!" he repeated, raising his voice this time. He heard Violet's shoes clack on the floor as she jumped back. Despite the fact that he had his back turned to her, Drew could just imagine the frown that distorted her face.

The bright morning sun filtered in through the window, but Drew had beat the sun to the world of the awake. He sat straight up in the hospital-like bed, turning a tiny, silver Roselia-shaped trinket over and over in the palm of his hand as he examined it. He paid attention to the skillfully crafted rose petals and the leaves that framed its neck.

"Wonder when she bought this?" he thought out loud; although, it didn't really matter considering that he was alone in the room. He turned the silver charm over in his hand. "Drew & Violet: Friends Forever" was engraved on the back in scripted letters. He clenched a fist tightly around the emblem, letting his eyes close. Friends? Did he even think of her as a friend? He answered himself instantaneously.

"Yes," he whispered under his breath. The green-haired boy looked down at the band-aid across his hand where the IV had been the day before, trying to hide his own surprise from himself at how quickly he had answered the question. He took a deep breath to let out a growl from his throat, but a loud sigh came out instead.

"I have cupcakes!" came the chipper voice as Violet pranced; she carried too cupcakes in each hand and the bounce had returned to her step. Drew had to admit, it was somewhat of a relief to see that at least she had returned to normal. "Sugar always makes everything better!" she giggled as she neared his bedside, handing him a pink-iced cupcake dotted with blue and white sprinkles. He let the side of his mouth perk up slightly, curving into a smirk.

"Cupcakes hardly qualify as breakfast," he said, taking it nonetheless. Who knows? Maybe his bad attitude had come and gone with all the pain he was going through. "Thanks," he muttered quietly. That's when he noticed the amethyst eyes of his companion light up. He raised an eyebrow curiously. "Um… Violet?"

"You're BACK!" she declared, putting her cupcake down on the table next to his bed and throwing her arms around his neck in a quick flash. The motion was so instant that Drew blinked repeatedly in surprise, almost dropping his cupcake.

She squeezed him tightly, a large smile on her face. Drew could feel his neck twinge at the pressure. He grabbed her forearms and tugged them down gently.

"Air, Violet," he rasped out, and the mauve-haired girl quickly eased her grip, but kept her arms around his shoulders.

"I'm so glad you're back!" she repeated, bouncing up and down on her heels happily. He didn't think before he let a chuckle slip.

"What are you talking about?" he asked; his hands were still on her arms.

"The not-grouchy Drew," she explained with a grin. "He's back!" Drew blinked for a moment before rolling his eyes. They instantly met up with those of Violet after they had made the full circle. An obvious sparkle shown in her mauve irises. The sight actually brought a wide smile to his face; for a moment he wondered if his eyes were sparkling the same way. "I missed you," she murmured, her voice softer. She sat daintily on the side of his bed, and he moved his knee a little to give her more room. "I got really scared when I woke up and you weren't there," she went on. "And then it was even scarier when I saw you hurt!" Something in his chest tightened, his pride completely forgotten. Maybe it was his little "guilt-sea" getting the better of him again. He felt her arms slink off his neck before a hand came down on his; he ignored the rush of heat that suddenly bombarded his face.

"I'm fine," he muttered quietly, allowing her to rest her hand on his. His rip cage seemed to squeeze his heart. "I never thanked you for saving me…" His gaze shifted away as he spoke. "Thanks." The exclamation was curt but sincere.

"You're welcome," Violet said; it was obvious that she was smiling even though he wasn't looking at her. He could feel the bed creak as she leaned forward ever so slightly. Before he had time to turn, she had put her face next to his and placed her pert lips sweetly against his cheek below the gauze. They stayed there a moment before backing away, leaving a burning sensation on his skin where they had been. His head jerked towards the mauve-haired girl as she pulled away, a very thin layer of surprise laced over his face. He starred into her eyes for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. No sign of shock was evident.

"What was that for?" he asked calmly. A giggle slipped out from between Violet's pink lips.

"I like you, remember?" she replied; her hand still lay atop his. He couldn't help it when his lips curved upwards into a smirk.

"Right," he sighed; he would've ran a hand through his bangs, but the hand she didn't have was holding a cupcake. He looked down at it, examining the light blue and white sprinkles that dotted the Skitty-colored icing, and pretended to be interested in anything but the current conversation. The young Coordinator heard the girl next to him exhale loudly before speaking again.

"Um… I know this might not be a good time… but… about what you said before we found that cave…" Her words came out muddled and quiet, and her face was flushed a cherry red. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that her free hand was twiddling nervously with his bed sheets. He knew exactly where this was going. "You said … 'We'll see.' Does that mean … you wouldn't mind…being my … ya know ….boyfriend?" The last word came out as a squeak, and Drew had to hold back a laugh when he actually looked up at her; her nervousness spread an aura of cuteness over her face. He glanced her over; she wouldn't meet his eyes. His heart seemed to repeatedly kick his insides as if scolding him. "You owe her!" it screamed, and he couldn't push the thought away.

"Yeah," he replied in a strangely gentle voice. He had spoken before he realized it, and wanted to punch himself afterwards. But it was too late; he saw her entire being light up.

"Really?" she squealed. The happiness that radiated from her was contagious, and Drew couldn't help but to chuckle again. "Does that mean you'll be …" Violet cut herself off as if she was afraid to say the next part. Meanwhile, thoughts reeled through Drew's brain. Was he really about to become Violet's boyfriend? More importantly, did he WANT too? He stole a look into her eyes before clenching his own shut. Every time he looked at her, he was even more sure about his answer, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. Then again, this drama had all started when the "liking" issue had started. Maybe this would end it, and Drew could get back to concentrating on more important things. Besides, what would being a "boyfriend" mean anyway? During this day and age, couldn't a pair just say they were "boyfriend and girlfriend" and they really do nothing more than what normal friends do? The thought had always made Drew roll his eyes, but wasn't that the case? That was when he felt her fingers tighten their grip on his palm. A tingling feeling poked at his flesh; why did he always do that? The chills, the burning, the guilt… Did that stuff mean something? He wasn't stupid; he knew what it meant. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to admit it. His heart kicked one of his ribs again; he knew because he flinched from pain. Literally speaking, Drew wasn't sure what it was, but the situation was a good metaphor and just to ironic to NOT mean something. Everything considered, could he deny these things?

"Yeah," he repeated. His mouth had opened and answered before he had finished thinking, or so it seemed. But he didn't have time to take it back; Violet had attacked him again, throwing her arms around him. His body was startled for a moment, even though he wasn't, before regaining its composure. He placed his cupcake on his bedside table, and didn't waste time returning the hug, not entirely sure if he was just pretending or not. If one doesn't know if their acting or not, can it be considered acting? Drew hoped so. Despite this, he let a smile grace his lips at the warmth of her hug. That's when his door swung open and in bounced a cherry-haired nurse. The two Coordinators parted to see the woman a bit red-faced.

"Sorry about that," she muttered, embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it," Drew said, a rare smile still on his face. "What is it?" He was quick to change the subject.

"Oh!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, pulling a pamphlet from her apron pocket. A elegant Altaria was painted on the front, its fluffy wings sparkling in artificial sunshine, and "Feather Festival" was printed across the top. "I'm delivering this to all our patients' owners… and patients I guess!" she giggled. "The Feather Festival is going to be in town soon."

"Oooh!" Violet cooed. "Can we stay, Drew? It'll be so much fun!" Drew shook his head immediately, but calm regardless.

"We can't," he replied. "We have to get moving as soon as possible. We've lost time as it is."

"It's going to be here in only a few days. And a Poke'mon Contest is going to be held too," Nurse Joy smiled, unfolding the piece of paper to show them pictures. Drew didn't have time to reject the idea again.

", Drew-bey?" Violet begged, clasping her hands together and batting her eye lashes cutely. The green-haired boy's temple twitched at his nickname, but he couldn't pass up a Contest opportunity … or that plead. He let out an exasperated sigh. Why couldn't he resist that?


	19. Chapter 19

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 19: _A Masquerain Ball_

Drew woke up to a gentle tickling on the tip of his nose. His green eyes flickered open to see the top of Violet's mauve head as she lay it sweetly on his shoulder, lying next to him in his hospital bed. She was snuggled closely to him, her head nestled in the crook of his neck and her arms latched around his waist. His injured shoulder had strengthened, allowing pressure to be put on it; it lay sandwiched between Violet and a pillow. His hand, which protruded from behind her, lay limply on her hip. His head, which had been resting atop hers, slowly rose to gaze down at the female Coordinator that slept so close him. He didn't mind; his bed sheets were thin, and she radiated warmth.

Sunlight filtered in, first through the canopy and then through the window. His head emitted a faint pulse and his back still tingled, but other than that the pain had ebbed. Last night, Nurse Joy had removed his sling, head bandages, and the gauze that stamped his cheek, leaving a faint, red imprint beneath his eye. His hair was drastically astray from having lay in bed for a couple days; it stuck out messily in every direction. A scab had formed on the back of his head from where it had been hit, turning his green locks a rusty red in places.

He looked outside the window to see the treehouses that dotted the forest of Fortree; Poke'mon were nestled atop their roofs and "porches". A deeper nuzzling next to him made him look back at his …..girlfriend? Drew's eye twitched at the thought before he nudged her slightly with the hand attached to his free arm.

"Violet," he said quietly. She yawned in her sleep, stilling clinging to the young Coordinator, but didn't open her eyes. He huffed loudly, blowing his bangs up out of his eyes for a moment. "Violet," he muttered a bit more loudly, nudging her again. He watched as her eyes parted ever so slightly to look up at him. "Get up, would you?" he ushered, pushing her slightly.

Mm-hm!" she mumbled abruptly, shaking her head back and forth before latching on more tightly around his waist. Drew's temple pulsed with agitation for a moment.

"Violet!" he groaned, rolling his eyes as he pried his arm free from underneath her. "You've got to get up and so do I!" he insisted, pushing on her shoulders in attempt to get her off him and his bed. A giggle escaped her throat but she held on stubbornly. Drew sighed loudly and thought for a moment. "Aren't you hungry?" he asked, a smirk curving his lips. A grin spread its way across the mauve-haired girl's face as her eyes blinked open quickly.

"Fine!" she exclaimed. "You win!" She bounced up onto her knees on the bed, jolting Drew up as well. He grunted as he fell back.

"Then let's go already," he ushered, crossing his arms.

"Uh-uh-uh!" Violet cooed, shaking a finger back and forth in front of his nose which made Drew cross his eyes for a moment.

"Why not?" he bit back, raising an eyebrow and pushing her gloved hand out of his face. This time, the female Coordinator plopped her arms down in front of her chest as she crossed them.

"Because you still are supposed to stay in your room!" she explained in a matter-of-face tone, her lips pursed as if to make her look important. Drew glared, protesting; he was supposed to be released at noon. "I'll bring you something back!" Violet grinned as she skipped over to the door and out it before the grassy-topped Coordinator could say anything. He growled at the backside of the door for a moment before kicking the covers off himself and springing out of bed to his feet. The tiled floors were cold to the bare soles of his feet, and the sudden weight of his body made his knees twitch a little, but a sigh of relief found its way out as he was finally able to stand again. Walking put a strain on his legs, but that was just because he hadn't used them in so long. His back stung a little from finally standing so straight. He was determined that this would all go away soon and had no trouble in making himself walk to the bathroom that branched off from his room.

He trudged over to the side of the tub-shower combo and sat down on the side of it before turning on the water and pulling a knob that caused it to spray out of the nozzle above him.

Violet hopped into the hospital-like Poke'mon Center room, a small Styrofoam tray in each of her hands. She set them down on the bedside table, inhaling deeply as the scent of sweet syrup drizzled over pancakes wafted up at her nose. But after scanning the room, her purple eyes blinked quickly.

"Drew?" she asked out loud, turning around a couple times as she looked. "Drew!" she called again, a little louder. A muffled response came from behind the bathroom door. The female Coordinator turned her head sideways curiously as she approached it and pressed an ear to the wood. The sound of spraying water echoed towards her ears for a moment before stopping, resulting in a trickling sound that drifted off slowly. She heard a loud slide, a moment of quiet, and then a slide again.

"I'm in here," she heard her companion's voice from the other side of the door. Her eyes widened ever so slightly and a river of crimson rushed up into her cheeks. She pivoted and pressed her back to the door, sliding down to the ground with her knees tucked closely to her chest. A quiet giggle escaped her lips before she pressed her fingertips to her cheeks, feeling the heat that radiated off her face.

"Violet?" Drew called again from the bathroom. "You are out there right?" The mauve-haired girl blinked herself back into reality.

"Y-yeah!" she called back, pushing herself to her feet.

"Be out in a minute," the boy exclaimed, his voice a monotone like usual. Violet heard a series of rustling and footsteps before the bathroom door opened to reveal a shirtless Drew with damp, stringy hair in his ragged blue jeans who was dotted with droplets of water. The blush that had begun to ebb from Violet's cheeks dashed back onto her face.

"Did you bring breakfast?" he asked, his eyes closed as he shook his hair and continuously ran a navy blue towel over his head.

"Um…" Violet thought for a moment. "Oh! Mhm," she replied. Drew's emerald eyes blinked open, and he looked at her curiously only to see the pink that laced her cheeks. In an instant, the color jumped from her face to his, but he walked out the bathroom and passed her, ignoring it.

The smell of pancakes hit his nose as he dug through his backpack, pulling out his gray sweater. The Coordinator pulled it over his head before shaking his wet hair again. The red that had previously decorated his face had left.

"Let's eat," he suggested lamely, hopping up onto his bed before reaching over for a tray. He watched as a grin spread over Violet's face as she rushed over and copied him, coming down on the bed with a big, giggly bounce and sending him bolting up into the air. This just resulted in sending her into a fit of laughter. "Why do you love doing that to me?" he asked as he sat back up and began taking the top of his tray off, his voice only ever-so-slightly grouchy. Violet chuckled under her breath as she copied him, giving a shrug. Drew rolled his eyes before looking down at his plate: a nicely sized pancake covered in butter and soaked with syrup, two pieces of bacon, and a large, plump Pecha berry on the side.

"Awww!" came the squeaky whine. Drew looked up to see Violet eyeing his plate. "You got a Pecha berry! I love those!" she bleated. The grass-topped boy looked down at his companion's tray to see a bright-yellow Sitrus berry next to her strips of bacon. With that, he picked up his berry and held it out to her with a sigh.

"Here," he huffed. "We'll switch."

"Eek!" Violet squeaked, followed by a quick giggle. Drew raised an eyebrow; she was especially giddy today. "Thank you!" she exclaimed, taking the Pecha before handing him the Sitrus. The boy sighed as he took the berry and bit into its rough skin before its typical flavor flooded his mouth. Meanwhile, Violet eagerly sunk her teeth into the pink fruit and pulled off a humongous bite, sugary trails of juice cascading out the sides of her mouth and down her chin. An amused smirk graced Drew's lips as he handed the girl a napkin. She giggled as she took it and ran it over the lower part of her face. Then, it didn't take long for her fork to find its way to her pancake and for her pancake to find its way to her mouth, syrup and all. She licked her lips happily as they were coated in a honey-mahogany liquid. Drew self-consciously licked his own lips to check for stickiness. That's when the door to his room burst open to reveal a bouncy Nurse Joy as she pranced in, a decently large box in her hands.

"Good morning, you two!" she beamed brightly. Drew grunted in response, and Violet munched out an unknown response; it was muffled by her food-full mouth. "Drew," she went on. "I have something for you!" The cherry-haired nurse seemed excited as she put the box down next to Drew and pulled the lid off. From within its depths she pulled out a tall suit, but it wasn't a traditional coat-and-tie, penguin-look-alike suit; it was threaded a dark, yet pale, purple. The exterior shoulder pads, a shade of light, sugar pink, arched upwards and had tangled tassels at least an inch long. Trim of the same color outlined the seams, the collar, and the cuffs. Buttons dotted the outfit from top to bottom, and a rose the same hue as the trim sat pinned on the front. Drew did a double-take.

"Um… thank you?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow. "….Why?"

"Oh!" Nurse Joy chuckled, sweat dropping and placing an innocent finger on the side of her chin. "I forgot to mention the contest is a costume contest. Sorry." The male Coordinator groaned loudly and did a face-palm as his amethyst-eyed companion giggled at full volume.

Drew stepped out of the Poke'mon Center, dressed from head to toe in his mauve and pink suit, into what seemed a flurry of feathers, bright colors, and people. Leaves trickled down from the trees like raindrops from all the Bird-Poke'mon dancing around in their depths. Balloons decorated the trees along with their respective houses, and signs announced events that were everywhere and anywhere; it was hard to believe that the committee had set all of this up over night. He heard the sliding doors of the Poke'mon Center open up behind him again only to have Violet rushing out, twirling around happily.

"Look at all the Bird-Poke'mon!" she exclaimed, gazing up at the sky. A series of sparkles flashed in her eyes. "I wonder if they have cotton candy!" With that, she dove into the crowd of people, quickly disappearing in the array of heads.

"Vi-" Drew had reached out to stop her, but cut off his movements and call, realizing it was too late. He huffed loudly and brushed it off. How much trouble could she get into at a festival? Memories of Violet demolishing a stand on Cinnabar Island flooded his memory and he rolled his eyes.

The green-haired Coordinator sat cross-legged on a couch in the backstage Coordinator's lounge, looking at the on-stage screen out of the corner of his eye as Vivian announced the beginning of the contest and the first Coordinator took the stage. A dark-skinned girl in a flashy red dress took the stage first.

"Vulpix, let's go!" she exclaimed. Drew winced; her voice was squeakier than Violet's. "Will-o-wisp!" she declared and instead of the auburn, six-tailed fox-Poke'mon appearing out of its poke'ball, a blue inferno erupted out of the capsule. The ball of azure split up into dozens of smaller embers, circling around first the poke'ball and then the entire field. Only then did Vulpix jump out of the flames and onto the stage.

"Wow!" Vivian exclaimed. "Instead of Vulpix arriving first, we get showered with a beautiful will-o-wisp right out of the poke'ball!"

"Use dig!" the scarlet-clad Coordinator cried.

"_Vul!" _the Vulpix barked and leapt into the air before diving head-first into the ground, burrowing its way deep into the ground before leaping out a few feet away only to dive back into the earth; the little fox repeated this at least ten times at top-speed. When it was nestled beneath the ground in the center of all the recently-made burrows, the Coordinator called out her next attack.

"Now use fire spin!" she declared.

"_Nya!" _came Vulpix from underground as the dirt itself started glowing a gentle red. Then, fountains of fire exploded out of the holes in the earth and high into the air.

"Look at that!" Vivian said excitedly. "They've turned the field into a minefield of fire geysers!" That's when Vulpix leapt up from underground, amidst the flames, the embers dancing around its fur like little, red petals. "Isn't that beautiful, folks?" the hostess said. "And powerful too! That's a good appeal for Sonya and her Vulpix!" The audience thundered an applause.

Drew watched as the camera panned out onto the onlooker's. His eyes moved faster than the screen, and he wished the cameraman would hurry up. When the screen flashed back to the Coordinator and her Vulpix, blowing kisses into the crowd, Drew blinked; he didn't see a purple head anywhere in the audience. Maybe the camera just hadn't shown her?

The male Coordinator watched performance after performance, waiting for the chance to stare out into the audience again in hopes of spotting a particular mauve-topped head.

"Okay, let's welcome our next Coordinator, Drew!" announced Vivian. Drew blinked rapidly as his name was called, shaking his head back into reality, and rushed out onstage.

"It's showtime, Masquerain!" he shouted as he jumped on stage, tossing his poke'ball high into the air. The pink and white moth Poke'mon fluttered out of its poke'ball gracefully, its wings and antennae sending a flurry of sparkling dust into the air around it, sending its body aglow.

"Such natural beauty!" Vivian complimented.

"Hidden power!" he ordered with a smirk, holding his hand up into the air as to direction attention up to his Poke'mon.

"_Rrrraaaaaaiiinnn!" _it hummed as a gentle, white glow incased itself around its body before becoming tiny, white, glowing orbs that orbited around Masquerain in two different rings. This increased the glow that had already wrapped itself around the moth Poke'mon.

"Now add bubblebeam!" Drew instructed.

"_Rrrraaaiinnn!" _the Poke'mon replied and twirled its body, shooting rapid orb after orb of water from between its antennae. The circles of hidden power rushed out with the bubbles and the two attacks followed each other's example as they began circling Masquerain from different distances, creating their own mini-solar system with the pink and white moth as the center.

"Isn't that just beautiful?" Vivian squealed. "Masquerain looks like a silver sun surrounded by tiny, glowing planets!"

"Finish with silver wind!" Drew ordered proudly, and his Poke'mon followed suit by twirling quickly around, its antennae and wings whipping a shining whirlwind that swept around and collided with the bubbles and hidden power orbs, busting the attacks into beautiful arrays of silver sparkles that settled down over the stage just like snow.

"Words can't describe how completely beautiful that was!" the hostess exclaimed. "Let's see if the judges agree!"

After statements from the judges, a perfect score of thirty flashed on the large screen above his head and the crowd burst into applause. His emerald irises scanned the seats for a familiar mauve top, quickly coming to a heart-wrenching realization. Violet wasn't out there.

Violet skipped beneath the canopy between the long row of stands, her yellow fingerless gloved hands swinging back and forth beside her hips cutely. Suddenly, her sneakers skidded to a stop and her nose perked up into the air as a warm smell wafted towards her nose. She made a quick turn and bounded up to a stand with a steaming display of corndogs, leaning over so to let the smoke whirl upwards into her face.

"These smell SO good!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together happily. The man behind the booth laughed.

"Here you go, little lady," he chuckled, handing her a corndog drizzled with a little mustard. Violet's eyes sparkled and seemed to expand as she took the food sweetly.

"Really? Thank you!" She happily sunk her teeth into the corndog and mewled happily as she tore of the first piece. Her corndog in hand, she continued her prancing through the field of stands.

"Action, Rome-!" the ebony-haired boy cut himself off as his feet slipped out from underneath him, sending him to his backside with a loud 'oof'; his blue-topped poke'ball being tossed into the air. A white light shot out of the capsule and revealed a large, yellow Poke'mon, the lily pad on its head tipping back and forth as it teetered across the stage as the Ludicolo danced.

"Are you alright?" Vivian asked, taking a step towards the Coordinator.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered with a cheeky grin as he jumped to his feet. "Sorry about that." With that, he turned back towards his Poke'mon and the stage. "Romeo, use whirlpool!" shouted its Coordinator.

"_Lu-di-COLO!" _the duck-billed Poke'mon cried as a powerful jet of water appeared beneath it, twirling upwards in a spiral shape as it pushed it high into the air.

"Check that out!" Vivian laughed. "Kiri and Romeo have made a beautiful fountain!"

"Okay, Romeo, kick it up a notch!" Kiri shouted, punching his fist into the air. The Ludicolo complied with a cry and raised its mitten-like hands as another rush of fountains gushed upwards in the background, creating smaller mini-fountains that danced around the large one in the center.

"Wrap this up with sunny day!"

"_COLO!" _the grass-water hybrid replied as a bright light shown from its body, sun beams bursting outwards and colliding with the spray created by the fountains. Upon contact, the light and the mist combined to create a multi-colored arc that curved over Romeo's head.

"Look! A rainbow!" the hostess beamed. The audience erupted into applause as a large '28' appeared on screen above the newest Coordinator's head.

Drew sat cross-legged on the couch in the Coordinator's backstage locker room as the black-haired boy trotted back in after his performance. The sitting Coordinator had his head down, his bangs in front of his face; through his grassy locks he noticed Kiri as he walked up to him. Drew looked up at him. He was a little bit taller than him but his face was still kind of rounded and looked more boyish; he assumed he was younger. He wore a white and blue suit that flamboyantly fanned out and the end of the legs, arms, end of the shirt, and the top of the collar.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. Drew mentally sighed. Another 'Violet?'

"Nothing," he lied in a monotone voice, looking away. Kiri crossed his arms, but a grin spread across his face.

"You should be having fun!" he exclaimed. The green-topped boy rolled his eyes.

"I'll have fun after I win," Drew replied, running his hands through his bangs and removing them from his eyes. "Just who do you think you are anyway, butting into my business?"

"Just the Sootopolis gym leader of course!" Kiri grinned, flashing Drew a peace sign; the green-haired boy raised an eyebrow. Oh yeah. Wallace just retired from the gym after becoming champion; as a Coordinator, Drew didn't usually keep up with things concerning Trainers.

"Hmph," Drew smirked, closing his eyes calmly. "You're still a noob to me." He could hear as a flustered Kiri blabbered a fighting response before getting to flustered and tripping over his own two feet again, sending him into a face-plant on the floor.

Violet popped the small, blue, cube-shaped candy out of the dispenser and tossed it towards the pack of her Poke'mon. Ghost Ring leapt into the air and caught it in its mouth before twisting in the air to land on its paws again.

"_Umbre'!" _it barked happily after chewing and swallowing. The mauve-haired girl let out a giggle as she popped a yellow candy poke'block into her hand.

"Okay, who wants this one?" she asked, holding it up between two fingers. Dark Thorn let out a deep-throated bark, bouncing up and down on its paws.

"Catch!" she exclaimed and tossed it only to have the Mightyena leap up and chomp down on it in mid-air with its sharp teeth. A blue horn nudged her elbow from the side.

"'_Saul," _White Fang muttered, its crimson gaze on the poke'block dispenser. A chuckle escaped Violet's lips.

"Here you go," she said, popping a red candy into her hand and then holding it out to the Absol which calmly lapped it up into its mouth and chewed it slowly.

"_Sneaz!" _Onyx Ice grunted, holding out a palm-up claw with its other one on its hip.

"Sorry, Onyx," Violet cooed, tossing a yellow poke'block to the Sneasel that ate it with a few loud crunches.

"_Pidgooooo!" _came the loud call from overhead as a large Pidgeot flew above the freetops over Violet's head.

"Ooh! The race is next!" the mauve-topped Coordinator grinned, jumping to her feet. "Let's go!" she shouted, waving for her Poke'mon to follow her as she ran off into the trees. "I've got 50 Poke'dollars on Skarmory!"

Drew watched as pictures of himself, Sonya, Kiri, and another Coordinator whose performance he had forgotten appeared on the screen; they were the four finalists.

"Now our computer will randomly pair up our contestants!" he heard Vivian exclaim from the stage. The images shuffled themselves, appearing in the four spots at rapid speed over and over again before settling still with a couple high-pitched 'beeps'. He smirked as his picture appeared next to the kid that wasn't either Kiri or Sonya. This would be nothing but an easy round for him.

"Let's have Drew and Jason duke it out first!" the lavender-clad hostess announced. Drew noticed a brunette boy in forest-green clothes, a pointed hat and billowing cape of the same color, and a Pidgeotto feather sticking out of his hat; the boy, apparently Jason, turned and walked on stage. With a smirk, Drew followed him.

Violet squealed as the air-borne Skarmory raced across the finish line, "miles" ahead of the other contestants.

"Way to go, Skarmory!" she screamed, jumping up and down as she pumped her fist into the air. The steel bird let out a cry as it soared in a loop-de-loop pattern, its wings shining brightly in front of the setting sun. Happily and proudly, Violet bounced to the front of the crowd and flashed her ticket at the master of ceremonies who happily placed the money in her hand.

"Thanks for watching, folks!" the pudgy ceremonial ring-leader beamed, his mustache tickling the mike as he talked. "Don't miss our ceremonial ball in a few hours!" That's when an imaginary light bulb blinked on above her head and she turned as she began weaving her way through the throng of people.

The two male Coordinator's starred each other down, each of them on either side of the field. Kiri's Ludicolo, Romeo, easily defeated Sonya's Vulpix, and Jason's Hypno was no contest in comparison to Drew's Masquerain. Now, the two of them faced each other as the finals were about to begin.

"Action, Romeo!" Kiri shouted, pitching the aqua-colored poke'ball and revealing the dancing duck Poke'mon.

"Let's do it, Masquerain!" Drew countered, tossing his hair as he through his poke'ball from which the pink and white moth Poke'mon appeared. "Use stun spore, then whirlwind!"

"_Rrrraaaiiiinnn!" _Masquerain chimed, flicking its wings and causing clouds of golden dust to puff out of its wings. The sparkling particles dispersed around Masquerain and began floating downwards beneath the Poke'mon. Then, the moth began to beat its wings very rapidly, creating a gust of wind that whirled the stun spore higher into the air where it headed straight for Kiri's Ludicolo.

"What a combination attack!" Vivian explained. "And with a beautiful opening like that, Drew's already reduced Kiri's points. How will he counter?"

"Romeo, surf!" he directed.

"_Lu-di-COLO!" _it cried as a large wave burst upwards in front of it, creating an "iron" wall that prevented the dust to get through.

"Good counter! And that's gonna take Drew down some points!" Vivian said in her play-by-play. That's when Romeo's wave folded downward and rushed towards Drew and Masquerain.

"Silver wind!" Drew ordered as his Poke'mon uttered a quick response before letting loose in an insanely quick twirl, generating a spiral of silver wind around it. When the water came in contact with the small cyclone, the wave parted and the water traveled around Masquerain. "Bubblebeam!" he directed, and Masquerain stopped twirling on a dime. Before the winds had even cleared, a stream of rapid bubbles shot towards Ludicolo. Its eyes went wide as the attack nailed it in the stomach.

"And down goes Kiri's points!" Vivian went on. "How is he going fight back?"

"Romeo, solarbeam!" the Sootopolis gym leader retaliated.

"_Lu-DI…!" _A bright sphere of light manifested as Romeo opened its bill. _"COLO!" _With a flick of its hands, the sphere of light shot out towards Masquerain as a beam of insanely white light.

"Masquerain, bubblebeam now!" exclaimed Drew.

"_Rrrraaaiiiinnn!" _the moth Poke'mon cried, sending a stream-line of rapid-fire bubbles from between its antennae. The two attacks hit each other head-on and locked themselves in a reverse tug-o-war. The line dividing solarbeam and bubblebeam pushed itself back and forth as the two Poke'mon struggled.

"Now use silver wind!" ordered the green-eyed boy. Masquerain whipped its wings fast and hard, creating a cyclone of silver-coated wind that spiraled down from its user, down the rope created by the two attacks, and pummeled Kiri's Ludicolo, cutting off the struggle.

"Kiri's points take another hit!" Vivian broadcasted.

"C'mon, Romeo! Get up!" the ebony-topped gym leader pleaded.

"_Lu…!" _Romeo quacked in a deep voice, pushing itself upright again.

"Hmph. Don't know when to quit do you?" Drew taunted, a smirk curving his lips. "Hidden power!" A circle of small, glowing orbs formed around Masquerain as it hovered in the air before shooting outward in every direction.

"We're not done yet! Whirlpool!" Kiri exclaimed.

"_Lu-di-COLO!" _With that, a jet of water swirled up from beneath Romeo, hoisting it into the air so Masquerain's attack skittered beneath it.

"Now use hydro pump!"

"_CoLOOOO!" _guzzled an airborne Romeo as it shot a gush of water from its mouth at top speed.

"Whirlwind, quick!" shouted the Coordinator clad in pink and purple.

"_Rraainn..!" _chimed the moth Poke'mon has it spun quickly, beating its wings, to whip up a whirlwind of air around its body. The hydro pump hit the side of the mini-tornado and slowed down for a moment before penetrating the wind and nailing Masquerain.

"Drew managed to reduce the number of points he lost by weakening hydro pump! But points are points and they're still going down!" the hostess said. Drew grimaced as he glanced at his grounded Masquerain.

"_Rrrraaaiiinn…" _it whimpered helplessly, drops of water dripping from its wings. His emerald eyes went wide. When Masquerain's wings got wet, it couldn't fly. That's when a slight ringing sound echoed towards his ears. What the … ? His senses did a scan of the field before pinning Masquerain as the source. He racked his brain for a moment before narrowing his eyes at his opponent; he knew what was going on.

"Masquerain, use bug buzz!" Drew shouted.

"_Rrrrraaaaiiiiiinnn!" _Masquerain sang, shaking its antennae at lighting-fast speeds. An extremely, high-pitched, ear-splitting sound vibrated outwards from the moth Poke'mon. Romeo and Kiri covered their ears, desperately dancing back and forth at the horrible sound.

"What is that?" Kiri wailed.

"Masquerain's bug buzz has us all in a pinch! But check out Kiri's points! They're dropping! And quickly too!"

"Wha?" the black-haired boy groaned, looking up at the bored, but his Poke'mon was still immobilized by that horrible sound.

"Silver wind!" Drew directed, and Masquerain's wings, although wet, through out a silvery gust that sped straight for Romeo just as it blinked back to its senses. It nailed it squarely in the chest and tossed it onto its back just as the buzzer noise sounded, signaling the end of the five-minute battle.

"Romeo is unable to battle! In both time and points, our winner is Drew!" Vivian announced, pointing up at the big screen over her head as Drew and Masquerain's picture appeared in front of a feather-decorated ribbon.

The green-haired Coordinator calmly walked over to his Poke'mon and kneeled down next to it. "Good job, Masquerain," he smiled, petting its head.

"Great battle!" he heard Kiri grin from next to him. He looked up at him with a dull gaze.

"Uh…yeah…" Drew replied carelessly.

"Here," the other boy said as he held his hand out, a triangular badge made of three raindrops in his palm. "You earned this. You did beat me after all."

"….right…" the other Coordinator muttered under his breath, barely remembering that Kiri was a gym leader. "Sure." He picked up the badge and examined it before shoving it into his pocket carelessly.

"Congratulations to Masquerain and Drew! Now that the contest is over, we hope you'll all join us for the closing ceremonies ball in just a little while!" the hyper announcer advertised.

"So…" Kiri said, dancing around his words and putting his hands behind his back as he rocked back and forth on his heels. "I'll be seeing you at the dance?"

"Maybe," Drew shrugged; perhaps Violet would be there.

Drew leaned lamely against the table of treats, a small cup of Cheri punch in his hand; these sort of get-togethers weren't really his thing.

"Wanna dance?" beamed a girl as she walked up to him, holding out a white gloved hand. It was Sonya, the girl from the contest earlier. The green-haired boy gave her a smile but shook his head.

"No thanks." She seemed to pout for a minute before swirling off to the next guy. Meanwhile, he scanned the crowd for a familiar mauve head.

"FOUND YA!" came the loud squeak from behind. Drew's eyes went wide and he was jolted forward, abandoning his punch as it fell from his hand to the dirt. He pivoted around to see a grinning Violet.

"Why'd you -" He cut himself off when his eyes looked her over for a moment; she wore the dress she wore to the Ocean Day ball back on S.S. Tidal. He exhaled loudly before running his hand through his hair. "Where have you been?"

"Hanging out at the festival," she explained. "Why?" She cocked her head sideways in that cute little way that she does. Drew glared.

"Why weren't you at my contest?" he barked, folding his arms. Violet took a step back, her pink bottom lip protruding as she frowned for a moment.

"I didn't think you'd want me there…" she mumbled, looking down. The male Coordinator blinked, his eyes softening.

"Why?" He mentally thumped himself in the head; he sounded so pathetic right now. Of all the things he could say he chose 'why'.

"Just thought…" she added with a shrug, playing with her fingers. Her yellow, fingerless gloves weren't present and her small, dainty hands seemed lonely without them. Her creamy skin sent off a glare as the lantern lights from the trees beat down on them.

"I did want you th-" Drew was cut off as a blue and white clad Coordinator bounced over to them, appearing to pop out of no where, and threw his arms around the two of their necks.

"Hiya, Drew!" the black-haired boy beamed.

"Whose this?" giggled Violet.

"Violet - Kiri; Kiri - Violet," Drew mumbled, rolling his eyes before shoving Kiri's arm off.

"Nice to meet you!" the young gym leader smiled, letting Violet go and performing a flamboyant bow. She chuckled at him, covering her mouth with her fingers. "What, she your girlfriend or something, Drew?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and jutting a thumb at the mauve-haired girl. Out of the corner of his eye, Drew watched as a pink layer appeared on Violet's cheeks; a rush of heat to his face let him know his probably looked the same way. There seemed to be an uncomfortable silence; to Drew and Violet it probably felt like hours but it seemed only Kiri knew it was just a second or two. In an attempt to make conversation again, Violet nervously opened her mouth.

"Um… No, I -

"Yeah," Drew cut her off, receiving him a quick, surprised glance from his companion and another grin from Kiri.

"I thought so!" the boy said giddily with a wink. "I'll leave you Skitties alone now!" he smirked mischievously before trotting off. That's when Drew turned and his eyes caught Violet's. Her amethyst gaze held pleasant confusion and sparkled in the fading light. He grinned and put a hand on his hip cooly.

"What?" he asked in a fake monotone.

"So…we really are -" Drew cut her off once again.

"I'm a lot of things, but a liar isn't one of them. I agreed to it so yeah," he explained, finding himself shrugging a little. He opened one eye and looked at her, the corners of his lips dying to curve upwards. "Only if you promise not to miss one of my contests again!" A fit of giggles signaled Violet pouncing towards him and throwing her arms around his neck. Drew didn't realize it until it was too late that he had let a genuine laugh escape his mouth. By the time she had settled from her jump, he found his arms around her, his hands meeting at her upper back. The dress left the skin bare and his fingertips felt the cold. He watched as Violet flinched ever so slightly as his fingers barely brushed her back. She looked down as her cheeks turned from pink to red. The green-haired boy couldn't help it when he smiled at her cute, peach-shaped face.

"I thought you didn't have time for -" Drew wasted no time cutting her off.

"Let's just not think about it," he decided. His conscious, or at least half of it, kicked the inside of his head. Why didn't he just keep his mouth shut?

"Did you miss me today?" she giggled, looking back up at him. He didn't have time to look away and found himself caught with their eyes locked and their noses an inch apart; his emerald eyes locked with hers as they twinkled with giddiness. For a second, he didn't breathe, move, or think. In the following second, he knew he'd regret it later because during that split moment, his mouth had opened and replied without his consent.

"Yes." The glaze of crimson increased over Violet's face.

"I knew you'd win," she said quietly. Drew's body relaxed at the prospect of the conversation changing; he didn't even realize he had tensed up. That's when he recognized that he and Violet still stood with their arms wrapped around each other. The mauve-haired girl inched her head forward and forced her pert lips onto his cheek. A shudder shot up Drew's spine and made its way to his face where it swirled around inside him, surely making his blush worse. He felt his mouth open like he was about to speak.

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up, he screamed inside his head but his mouth wouldn't listen.

"You want to dance?" he asked politely, glancing over her head at the party around them. She seemed to think for a moment before grinning and responding,

"I have a better idea."

The cold air against his face and the warmth of Violet's body pressed against his torso sent Drew's sensory system for a whirl; he trusted Flygon to fly safely because he wasn't entirely sure which ways were up or down anymore. The brisk wind ruffled their hair, Violet's dress, and the tassels that hung from his shoulder pads. He could feel his face hot from the altitude smacking against his cheeks and his fingers twitched slightly against Flygon's scaly neck. His arms were placed securely on both sides of Violet, keeping her safely in the middle and he placed his chin on top of her mauve head. It was the feather festival after all, the carnival for flying, and they were high above the party and the treetops. The moon was now high in the sky and stars dotted the black canvas. That's when he heard a gentle muttering under the wind. He lowered his head, nesting his between Violet's and her shoulder.

"Thank you, Drew," she said, her lips spread in a wide smile. His chest lurched painfully as more heat rushed to his cheeks; for a moment, he almost wished it would do that again.

"Your welcome," he whispered into her ear; the winds wouldn't let them talk properly anyway. He felt her body convulse against him as she shuttered, and he chuckled under his breath. He imagined his breath was hot to her freezing skin.

Why did he agree to this again? Why was he now in a relationship with her? Better yet, why did he want to be?

Drew asked himself these questions inside his mind but found no answers. He felt a hand come down on his and he blinked at Violet who was hiding a cute giggle. A happy smirk found its way onto his face. For maybe just one night, he didn't care about those answers.

His heart suddenly lurched forward again when he felt her fingers intertwine with his. A tingling sensation brushed his hands first and then migrated up to his lips. The nervous thought popped into his mind; did he want to kiss her?

He rested his head forward on her shoulder for a moment, trying not to seem to captivated; it was a lie. If only her back weren't turned to him. He shrugged to himself. It didn't matter. They had time; the festival lasted all night, and they had the sky to themselves.


	20. Chapter 20

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 20: _Weather You Like It Or Not!_

Drew starred down at the four ribbons looking back at him nestled safely in the cushion of his ribbon case. He lifted the softness up to see his three badges tossed carelessly in the case, cramped between the pad and the bottom of the container. He let out an irritated sigh. "I'm becoming a trainer," he growled to himself before running a hand through his bangs.

He lazily played with the bandages that were still wrapped around his torso, wishing they weren't there. The young Coordinator had yet to see the gashes that he knew rest on his back, but the pain from his shoulder (or anywhere else for that matter) no longer nagged at him so he would deal with the bandages.

His green eyes glanced up to see Violet still sleeping in the bed; he sat in a chair a few feet away. The Poke'mon Center had moved him from a hospital-like room to one of the actual guest rooms. The thin sheet lay tucked around the mauve-haired girl and her top arm rested limply on her side while her head was situated on top of a fluffy, white pillow; she had kicked the quilt off at some point during the night.

Drew noticed the rise and fall of her body and let a small smile play on his lips as he watched her sleep peacefully. He'd let her sleep-in this morning; they were out during the late hours of the night, flying above the festival grounds.

He dropped his ribbon case back into his backpack before pulling out an oval-shaped device. Getting up from his chair, he walked over to the bedside and looked down at his companion. His eyes traced the edge of her body, the curve from her hips to her chest, and watched it move up and down. That's when he felt a tiny bit of heat rush to his cheeks, and he quickly shook his thoughts away before sitting down on the bed next to her. He kicked his feet up and lay down, starring up boredly at the ceiling. Violet's form was pressed faintly to his side, but he didn't make any effort to move closer or farther away. Holding the Poke'Nav above his head, he turned it on with the press of a button and watched as the screen flickered on, surprised that it still even worked after the flood in that cave. … The flood? Memories raced through his mind. White Fang conjured up that wave; it must've learned Water Pulse. He reminded himself to tell Violet later, and then remembered the horrible head-pains related to that day before pushing them to the back of his mind.

Glancing at the Poke'Nav screen, he pulled up the map and looked over the tiny picture. A small growl escaped his lips; the closest town was Mauville, and that was a few days away by foot. A rustling sound by his ear made him blink, and he looked sideways to see Violet stirring from her sleep. She yawned loudly and stretched her arms high into the air before letting her eyes flutter open; Drew chuckled at her.

"Good morning, Drew-bey!" she giggled, propping herself up on an elbow as she looked at him. The green-haired boy flinched at his unwanted nickname.

"Don't call me that," he said calmly. He didn't know why he bothered to say that; she always ignored him. "Morning."

"What'cha doing?" she asked, putting her head down on his shoulder so she could look up at the screen too. Drew felt the familiar sensation of a blush on his face, growling to himself. Why was he doing that so much lately? It was so aggravating …

"Travel plans," he responded in a monotone.

"Oh," she squeaked, nuzzling her cheek further into his shoulder. The male Coordinator didn't move to push her away but continued to stare at the miniature screen. "Where are we going next?" Then, he felt one of her hands wrap around his free one that lay at his side; her touch was soft so he let her, but with one swift movement, she pulled his arm up and had it beneath her head, inching her body closer to his. Drew didn't do anything to stop her, but tried not to lean towards her too much. He rested the hand of the pinned arm on her waist and glanced down at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Mauville City," he answered quickly without much enthusiasm in his voice. "What are you doing?" A cute giggle jumped out of Violet's mouth, and she shrugged. The green-topped Coordinator rolled his eyes, but didn't push her away. He racked his brain for a conversation subject. "Did you have fun at the festival?" he asked; he tried to sound …sweet… but was unsure if he sounded that way. Then a thought rocketed into the side of his head from the inside; why was he trying to sound sweet?

"Yep!" Violet replied, beaming a bright smile before hiding her face in his shoulder. Her face tickled his bare skin, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He squeezed her in a slight half-hug in an attempt to make his skin feel normal again. A millisecond after he done that, he realized he had made a mistake. Laughing giddily, she threw her arms around his neck as she returned the hug. The Poke'Nav flew out of his hand and to the ground as she nudged him sideways a little. Then, she placed a kiss on his cheek like she seemed to do a lot.

"Why do you do that so much?" Drew asked suddenly, tilting her head up to look at her; they were nose-to-nose.

"Because its fun!" she replied, her eyes sparkling with amusement. A spark of playfulness went off inside his head, and a layer of mischievousness laced itself over his face.

"Yeah, well I didn't say you could do that!" he retorted in a fake-grouchy voice. With that, he jolted her side with a finger; his hand was in the perfect position anyway. She let out a squeak before covering her mouth. He blinked repeatedly. Ticklish? The green-haired boy poked her a few more times before letting a chuckle escape his mouth.

"Quit it..! Eek!" Violet peeped. The corner of his mouth curved upwards into a smirk as he watched her body fold into a little ball in a feeble attempt to shield her from his poking.

"Don't think so," Drew muttered in a slight 'sing-song' voice, poking her side again. She squeaked loudly and writhed, rolling back and forth beside him on the bed. His ears heard the bed creak slightly and the corner of his eye twitched.

"Violet stop before you -" he was cut off as Violet tilted farther to the side and rolled clear off the bed, pulling him with her. Drew heard her squeak as her back hit the floor; he landed squarely on his hands and knees with a quiet 'oof' just after her, his eyes clenched shut. "- put us in the floor," he finished slowly as he opened one of his eyes. At the sight beneath him, they both shot open. His girlfriend lay beneath him, his hands on either side of her mauve head. "Smooth,' he mumbled, a flood of red rushing to his cheeks. He immediately looked away but saw her face copy his out of the corner of his eye.

"Sorry," she said under her breath but in a giggle nonetheless. Drew pushed himself to his feet without another word before helping Violet as well. She continued to let small laughs escape her lips as she bounced around the room in search of her shoes and socks. The green-haired boy watched her in amusement before shaking his head and glancing around the room for his gray sweater.

"Awww! Do we HAVE to leave Fortree?" Violet whined. "I like it here!" The mauve-haired girl slouched forward as she drug her feet behind Drew's. The male Coordinator chuckled under his breath and rolled his eyes slightly as he looked at her over his shoulder.

"Yes! We need to get moving before any storms come," he explained. Violet folded her arms, her bottom lip protruding in a pout.

"How do you know its gonna rain?" she challenged.

"Because it always rains around here," he smirked. "Now keep moving."

The pair made their way past the Fortree city limits. The earth in Fortree had been soft and dry, shielded from the falling rain by the thick canopy, but now the soft soil gave way to a marshy grassland.

"We'll find a river soon, then just follow it until it leads us to a large canal. All we have to do is cross it to reach Mauville City," Drew explained. A rumble gently hummed as he closed his lips, and he looked up to see dark clouds looming above their heads. No sooner than they had looked up, droplets of water began pelting downward, first slowly then much faster. One dotted Violet between the eyes; he knew because he heard her squeak, and her arms arched over her head to protect her from the rain. "There's that rain I was talking about," he exclaimed before grabbing the mauve-haired girl by the wrist. "C'mon." Dragging Violet behind him, he began jogging further into the marshy forest.

"Uhh..." she murmured, confused, as she stumbled after him.

"Do you really want to just stand here in the rain?" he smirked over his shoulder. His eyes widened just ever-so-slightly when he noticed the light coat of pink over Violet's cheeks; he could see it through gray air that blanketed their path. Another clap of thunder rolled, seeming to make Drew's ears flinch. Was it closer already? He could ear Violet wail something behind him, but it was made incoherent by the steady roaring of thunder. Suddenly, he came to a halt and blinked.

"Thunder isn't continuous," he thought outloud.

"Drew!" Violet whined as she snatched her hand from his to cover her head. "Why'd we stop?" He could barely ear her over the roaring; it was far too loud and long to be thunder. His ears strained themselves hard as his eyes scanned the swampy forest.

"What are you doing?" Violet cried again, inching closer to him. She pulled up the end of his lavender jacket and held it over her head as she crouched down, pressing her cheek against his damp side. He cupped his hand around an ear and leaned towards the loud rumbling sound; then, his green eyes lit up for a moment.

"Quick, this way," he directed and took off through the soggy undergrowth. Violet, however, stood back and starred confusedly in the direction in which he had disappeared. She wrinkled her nose slightly before sniffling. Her mouth opened widely to shout, but another call from Drew just on the other side of a large fern plant cut her off. With a childish groan, she lumbered through the shrubbery after the green-haired Coordinator.

Drew heard Violet clamber through the plants behind him, but his eyes were fixated ahead. Running in front of them was a wide, gushing, white waterfall that flowed down the steep, rocky hill to their left. Thrown across the top of the cascading water was a rackety bridge made of planks held together by rotting pieces of rope; it looked secured at both ends, but it didn't have any railings to grab onto.

"The river!" Violet cooed happily, bouncing up on her hills. The green-haired boy noticed that her hair didn't bounce with her like normal; it was plastered to her head, the sides of her face, and shoulders thanks to the weight of the water that soaked it through. He imagined his owned looked very much the same. That's when a strong gust of wind whipped by, angling the rain and causing it to pelt down into Drew's eyes. He growled and threw up his arm to protect his face as he squinted through the squall to see the bridge being tossed back and forth like a piece of flimsy paper.

"We'll never get across that," he thought outloud but underneath his breath. He turned on his heel to look at Violet who meekly hid underneath the makeshift shelter made of her arms. Her bottom lip trembled and her amethyst eyes looked glossy as they reflected the water droplets that dotted her face. "Violet, release White Fang!" he called over the howl of the wind and water. She blinked and lowered her arms, giving him a confused glance before reaching for the poke'ball at her waist. Her yellow gloved-hand tossed it and a flash of white light erupted from the capsule, then cleared away to reveal the white-pelted disaster Poke'mon. "White Fang, will you summon whirlwinds to pull those winds away from the bridge so we can get across?" Drew asked, meeting the Absol's narrow, crimson eyes.

_"'Saul," _it nodded, looking away_. "Ab-saul!"_ it howled, flicking its head as the horn that arched backwards began to glow a ghostly white. Air currents, stronger than the ones created by the storm, whipped past Drew and Violet and tossed their air astray. The winds twirled around and around until a pair of miniature twisters flanked White Fang on either side. That's when their speed increased and the natural winds around then flew towards White Fang, migrating to the whirlwinds like Venemoth to a flame. The two Coordinators watched as the winds settled except for those within a small radius around Violet's Absol, causing the bridge to relax into its usual, safe position.

"Let's go," Drew ushered, nudging his companion towards the bridge. He could feel the sogginess of her clothes as he touched her.

"Umm.." Violet hummed, holding herself back. Her hands folded up against her torso as her entire form seemed to shrink. "There's nothing to hold onto," she whimpered timidly.

"It'll be alright," he said quickly, pulling her towards the bridge. "Just go."

_"'Saul!" _White Fang encouraged over the howl of the tiny gale that surrounded it.

"But, I -" Violet stammered, but cut herself off when a dripping wet hand clasped her own.

"Don't worry," Drew insisted. "I've got you." Just then, he could've sworn he saw a flash of red fly across her cheeks when he locked his eyes with hers. He let her stand there for a moment, but then pulled her closer, towards the waterfall, again. She gulped so loudly that Drew heard her swallow, but she inched herself onto the wooden bridge and the male Coordinator followed close behind. Although his grip didn't change, he could feel how her hold on his hand tightened with each passing step. He felt the bridge sway slightly under their weight, and Violet let out a loud squeak and jumped back, bumping into him. For a moment, his eye twitched with frustration.

"No sudden movements," he said gently after taking a deep breath, placing his free hand on her shoulder as she backed up to him. He let out a sigh of relief as she nodded and began creeping forward again.

They were almost half-way across the bridge now, but they were still moving way too slowly for Drew's liking. Even though White Fang was directing the winds away from them, the rain had made the planks beneath them extremely slippery and they were already decrepit without any help from the elements. He felt the muscles in Violet's forearms convulse as she came to a sudden stop; he could tell the rest of her cringed as well. A quiet squeak escaped her lips.

"What's wrong?" he asked over the sound of the rain and the winds that whirled behind them. He heard her gulp loudly.

"I looked down," she mumbled, clenching her eyes shut. Drew glanced down between the planks. The waterfall underneath their feet spewed white spray upward, coating the river with a lair of mist; if they fell in, they'd never be able to see each other.

"Don't do it again," he said. "Keep going." He nudged her forward and, too his delight, she started moving again. That's when a faint whizzing sound zoomed through the rain drops and tickled Drew's ear. He meant to look over his shoulder to see what he had heard, but he never had the opportunity. A blur of bright, swirling energy zipped past his nose and crashed into Violet's side. His chest cavern seemed to implode and his eyes jumped wide open as she let out a loud scream and was pushed right out of his arms off the bridge. He could've sworn he heard her shout his name, but all he could concentrate on was reaching for her again. It all happened in a split second. He lunged forward and felt his fingertips brush against hers before she slipped out of his sight and plummeted into the white water below him.

"Violet!" he shouted, expecting to see her purple hair pop up from the surface of the water any minute. He dropped onto the edge of the bridge, losing some of his balance as it swayed at his sudden movement. His green eyes darted back and forth across the river, but didn't see anything. Wrapped up in his search, he didn't notice the sound of the sphere being hurled towards him. An incredible pressure plowed into his back; he let out a grunt of pain, but suddenly found himself tumbling through the air, down towards the river. He clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath just before he dropped into the white, roaring depths.

A sudden wave of coldness overtook him as Drew faded back into consciousness. A hard, smooth floor lay beneath him, and he could tell that a bright light glistened on the other side of his eyelids. His body ached slightly, but that was to be expected. He pushed himself up into a sitting position as his eyes fluttered open, but he had to throw a hand up to shield them from the sudden appearance of light. He blinked repeatedly as his eyes adjusted, then glanced around the white room to see metal bars encircling him. His gaze followed them up and down; they were attached to both the floor and ceiling.

"'Nnughh..." came the groan from behind him. Drew turned to see a groggy Violet stirring from the land of unconsciousness. The mauve-haired Coordinator slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position and Drew watched as she rubbed her eyes and temples wearily. "..D-..Drew..?" Her voice came out a little shaky.

"I'm over here," he murmured in a depressed voice as he forced himself to his feet and made his way over to her. "You alright?" he asked, kneeling next to her. Violet looked down at herself and took a wobbly breath.

"I think so," she replied. "Where are we anyway?"

"I don't know," he said, standing up and glaring at the bars that encased them against the wall. "But it really doesn't matter. I say we get out of here!" With that, he reached to his belt for a poke'ball, only for his fingers to grasp air. He looked down and was surprised to see not a single capsule around his waist. "My Pok'emon!" he hissed. Violet immediately looked down at her hips to also discover that her poke'balls were missing. "Gah!" the green-haired boy sighed exasperatedly. "Whoever put us in here took our Poke'mon!"

White Fang could feel the surge of energy that swirled around him - the comforting feeling that came from being inside its poke'ball. It was like being awake and a sleep, light as a feather and as heavy as a boulder, as fast as light and as slow as a Torkoal all at once. It couldn't tell if and when time passed by until Violet let it out of the capsule. Suddenly, a dark feeling came from the back of its horn. It mentally gritted its teeth - because it couldn't do so physically, thanks to the spiritual body it wore inside the poke'ball. Curiosity spiking, it summoned a burst of energy and busted out of the small white and red sphere in a flash of white light. It blinked its red eyes back and forth and looked around. It registered the white, tiled room that encircled it and the big, large iron door across from it. Looking over its broad shoulder, it saw a brown, leather bag filled with a few handfuls of other poke'balls. It rose its muzzle and gave them a sniff before realizing they carried familiar scents. With a toothy grin, Fang nosed the circles at the epicenters of all the poke'balls as fast as it could. After many other flashes of white light, his allies, Violet's other Poke'mon, as well as Drew's Poke'mon, surrounded it.

_"Rrroosseerrr?" _Roselia murmured in a high-pitched hum, looking around the room as it rose a blue rose to its lips questioningly.

_"'Saul," _Fang shrugged as Onyx Ice pranced up to its side.

_"Sneasel, Sneaz!" _it hissed, flexing its mighty claws before rushing at the iron door, slashing across its face. The searing sound of metal scraping against metal hurt the ears of all the Poke'mon, but Onyx blinked in slight surprise when it noticed that its claws did nothing to the iron door. They're weren't even any claw marks on it!

_"'Saul!" _Fang barked, looking up at a scaly green dragon Poke'mon.

_"Rrrrreeeeiiyyyygghhh!" _screeched Flygon as it lumbered up to Fang's side. _"Rryyieigh!"_

_"Ab-saul!" _The two Poke'mon cried as bursts of gold light erupted from their mouths and rocketed towards the door. The power of the two attacks created a small haze, causing the Poke'mon to cease their fire and wait for the smoke to clear but when it did, hardly any mark was left on the door. Flygon frowned and wilted while White Fang glared angrily at the door. Masquerain sung a sad tune in the back, shaking its head back and forth. Dark Thorn barked, its ears flat, as it looked over to the two Eevee evolutions. Ghost Ring and Vaporeon exchanged a couple worried looks, their ears lowering a little.

The sound of the large, heavy-looking door swinging open crept up to Drew's ears. He blinked as a small, gray ball with large, dark eyes and a curly-que atop its head bounced into the room.

"Awwwwww!" Violet cooed, her eyes glossy as she clasped her hands together. "It's adorable!"

"A Castform?" the green-eyed boy mumbled, raising an eyebrow. Thoughts of the heavy rainstorm flashed in his mind and the whizzing energy that crashed him and Violet into the water. "We must be at the Weather Institute."

"Weather Institute?" the female Coordinator repeated, turning her head in confusion.

"It's a research center south of Fortree. Scientists study the weather from here so the place is swarming with Castform," he explained.

"Castform huh?" Violet beamed and reached a hand through the bars to pet its que-ball head. "Think you can help us get out, little guy?"

_"Caast!" _it squealed and bounced up and down.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," came the deep, cocky voice from the hallway just outside the white room. Drew and Violet looked up to see a tall man clad in a familiar scarlet uniform. He had a 5 o' clock shadow and mahogany hair.

"Team Magma," Drew growled under his breath. He saw Violet's bottom lip tremble as she took a step backwards and behind him.

"You see - I'm afraid we caught you trespassing on our territory," exclaimed the Magma member with an arrogant shrug. "Can't let you go running around with our little secrets, now can we?"

"This territory is owned by the Institution," Drew said in a matter-of-fact tone, crossing his arms.

"Yeah? Well, as of now we own the Institution!" the Magma man bit back.

"Drew!" Violet whispered in his ear as she grabbed his shoulders, shrinking towards his back. "I don't like it here... I wanna leave." He didn't tell her that he wanted out as much as she did, but they weren't getting anywhere without their Poke'mon.

"And just so you don't go getting any ideas..." growled the older man and pulled out a strange looking machine from behind his back. It looked kind of like a megaphone or maybe a satellite, but it had a large, red sphere in the middle of it and lots of wiring coming from behind the funnel down to a big interface connected to a trigger. When the Magma member pulled it, Drew could feel a series of shockwaves radiate from the "gun" towards them. Instinctively, he planted his body right in front of Violet as she ducked down behind him and he threw his arms in front of his face. But after a few moments of nothing happening, he put his arms down and looked around.

"Huh...?" the mauve-haired girl muttered before looking down at the Castform just on the other side of their cage. It turned around slowly and met the Coordinator's gaze. A dark shadow appeared under its slightly narrower eyes and a tiny sneer curved its mouth. "Eek!" squeaked Violet as she jumped back but Drew just glared at the red-clad man.

"What did you do to it?" he demanded. The Magma member didn't answer, only cackled as he left, slamming the door behind him.

_"Ab-saul!"_

_"Rrreeiigghh!"_

_"Rrwwarr!" _

_"Roosserrr!"_

_"Sneaz!"_

_"Rrrrraaiinn!"_

_"Um-bre'!" _

_"Vae'!"_

The cries rang out as the eight bursts of energy exploded through the iron door, sending it sprawling through the air against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.

_"Nya!" _squeaked Vaporeon as it bounded giddily with triumph.

_"Raaiiinn!" _chimed Masquerain as it picked up two familiar knapsacks and dropped them on Flygon's back. The large green dragon whistled a response and looked down at the Absol as if to ask what they were going to do.

_"'Saul," _it barked curtly, ushering with its head and horn to the group of Poke'mon as it started to walk out the doorway into a long, metal hallway. The large party wondered down the hall. Suddenly, the ears of Dark Thorn and Ghost Ring perked up.

_"Rrrooosssrr?" _questioned the grass-Poke'mon as it turned to look at them.

_"Brawwrr," _bayed the Mightyena as it padded up to the nearest door.

_"'Bre," _agreed the Umbreon and pawed at the door frame. _"Umbre', bre'!" _it added.

_"'Saul," _White Fang smirked, showing a tooth, and flashed the other Poke'mon amused looks with its crimson eyes.

Drew's and Violet's eyes shot wide with surprise as the door to the large white room exploded open and the room filled with smoke from the blast.

"What happened?" shrieked the female Coordinator. Drew felt her grasp his jacket and pull herself closer to him like she often did when she was frightened. Instinctively he grabbed her wrist, but kept his eyes straight ahead as he looked through the smut. Then, he noticed the silhouettes of some familiar Poke'mon and a crooked smile curved his lips. Then, a chiming sound buzzed by his right ear and he turned in time to see the dark-eyed Castform summoning a large, glowing sphere.

"Watch out!" he shouted to the Poke'mon just as the Castform released its attack.

_"Sneaz!"_

_"Rrrooossrr!" _called the Ice and Grass types as they leapt forward, each of them summoning a dark orb in front of them and quickly firing back. The two attacks spiraled against each other before the two Ghost type moves pummeled towards the weather ball but they never connected. Instead, the two spheres faded through each other and continued to zip towards their targets. The shadow balls zipped in the Castform's direction but dissolved into nothingness when they reached its face.

_"Sneaz?"_

_"Rossr?" _Onyx Ice and Roselia blinked in surprise, dumbfounded that the weather ball was coming straight for them.

_"'Saul!" _growled White Fang, leaping in front of its two companions, its head down so its horn excepted the blunt of the weather ball. Hissing, it tossed its head and dispersed the sphere of light with it as the other Poke'mon piled into the room.

_"Ve'!" _chimed the Vaporeon, releasing a jet of water that suddenly exploded from its mouth, bulldozing into the Castform and tossing it into the back wall of the room.

_"Ab-saul!" _barked the Absol and reared back on its hind legs for a moment, its tail glowing white, and twisted so its tail crashed into the bars holding back the Coordinators. Drew's arms flew up to protect him and the girl next to him as the iron bars burst in front of them.

_"'Bre!" _Ghost Ring barked as it and Vaporeon speeded towards their owners, jumping into their arms. Ghost Ring gave Violet's cheek a lick to which she responded to with a giggle and Vaporeon nuzzled Drew's chin fondly. His Roselia hugged his left leg and Flygon and Masquerain flashed happy looks and smiles. Onyx Ice crossed its arms, smirking proudly, as Dark Thorn and White Fang pressed their flanks to their Coordinator's sides.

"That was awesome, you guys!" Violet beamed, trying to touch as many of her Poke'mon she could at once.

"Yeah, it was," Drew agreed as Flygon dropped their knapsacks in front of them. The green-haired boy picked up some of his poke'balls. "But we've got to get out of here."

Drew winced a little as he forced the usually automatic door open, straining his arm muscles. "C'mon," he muttered to Violet as she, White Fang, and Flygon hurried out the door into the rainy marsh outside the Weather Institute. All the other Poke'mon had been returned to their poke'balls.

"And just where do you think you're going?" asked a gruff voice that sounded from behind them, and a large gust of wind rushed by, ruffling their hair and their clothes. Drew turned to look up at that same Team Magma member, this time riding atop a strange, hovering machine that appeared to be the source of the wind. He held that same "gun" in his hand. He pulled the trigger back and the familiar series of soundwaves radiated outward around the area. In a matter of moments, Castform were pouring out from inside the Institute, from behind it, from the swampy grasses, and from the trees. Drew felt Violet shrink towards him and his hand reached out to hers as he glared at the Magma member and the horde of weather Poke'mon.

"Let'em have it, Castform," snickered the Magma man with a smirk.

_"CCCCAAAAAAASSSSSSSSTTT!" _wailed the throng of once cute but now dark-eyed Poke'mon as they whipped their bodies, creating swirls of wind, pelting rain and hail, shearing sunlight, claps of thunder and bursts of lighting all at once. Some of the Castform morphed to their rain forms, some to their sun forms, some to their snow forms, and some stayed neutral, but they all began firing whizzing weather balls at the two Coordinators.

_"'Saul!" _White Fang barked as it crashed its horn into a sphere, dismantling the attack.

_"Rrriiegghh!" _whistled Flygon as it did the same, whipping one with its tail.

Drew kept his arms over his head as the rain and hail pelted down. He could feel Violet behind him, attempting to use him as her own cover.

"Drew! Why are the Castform attacking us?" cried Violet, looking this way and that at the small Poke'mon. His green eyes darted around the forestry, the weather Poke'mon, and then at the Magma member.

"It's that thing," he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing. "Flygon, get that machine!" he ordered, pointing at the "gun"-like object the red-clad man was holding.

_"Rreeiigyyhh!" _it chimed, beating its large wings as it took off into the air.

"Shoot it down, Castform!" the Team Magma member growled through his teeth, holding up the instrument and pulling the trigger, sending out more waves of energy.

_"CCCAAAAASSSSTT!" _they all squealed, shooting whizzing orbs towards the dragon Poke'mon.

"Razor wind!" the mauve-haired Coordinator shouted. The white-pelted disaster Poke'mon beside her reared its head back, its horn glowing white.

_"'Saul!" _it howled, flipping its head and sending out a gust of razor sharp wind that sliced through an entire row of the weather balls.

_"Rrrriiigghhh!" _whinnied the Flygon as it zoomed over the Magma grunt's head, snatching the hypnosis machine up in its claws.

"Now get rid of it!" the grass-haired boy ordered.

_"Fllrrrriigghh!" _Flygon hummed, tossing the sonar-making machine up into the air and blasting it with a golden ray from its mouth.

"No!" shouted the Magma grunt. "What have you done, you brat?" Suddenly, all the storms of fire and ice and the thunder and the lighting stopped at once. The Castform blinked repeatedly, the normal life back in their eyes.

_"Cast?"_

_"Caaastt.."_

_"Castform.." _They all muttered.

"Hyber beam!" exclaimed the two Coordinators.

_"Ab-saul!"_

_"Rrriiigghh!"_ called out their two Poke'mon as they each fired a large, golden ray towards the Magma member and the contraption he rode on.

"Wha-? No!" he shouted, throwing his arms up just as the attacks collided with his machine, creating a great explosion.

_"Cast!" _squealed a little Castform as it bounced up to Violet's feet. She beamed down at it, picking it up in her arms and giving it a squishing hug. Drew's lips curved up into a smirk as he watched her and he placed a hand on his hip as his Flygon landed.

"Well done, Flygon," he said, returning it to its poke'ball.

"Oh, Drew! Can we keep it?" Violet cooed, hugging the little que-ball Poke'mon.

_"Caaaaasssss..." _it muttered weakly, obviously loosing air.

"Let the poor thing breathe, Violet," he smirked, running his fingers through his grassy locks. "And no. It belongs here. Besides, don't you only train Dark type Poke'mon?" The mauve-haired girl looked between her boyfriend and the Casform and frowned before sitting it down.

"...Meanie..." she mumbled under her breath, folding her arms, but she was grinning nonetheless. He chuckled to himself and rolled his eyes again before turning to the sea of Castform.

"You are all free to go now. You won't have to worry about Team Magma controlling you anymore!" he announced and was replied to with a jubilant sea of cries from the weather Poke'mon. That's when the sound of a siren and flashes of blue and red lights whirled around on the area in front of the Weather Institute. By now the smoke from the explosion was clearing, leaving some banged-up wreckage that was once Team Magma's hovering machine. The sound of rummaging reached Drew's ears as he turned around to see the Team Magma member heaving himself out from under the debris.

"You're under arrest!" came a magnified, feminine voice from a helicopter that swooped over head, whipping up the winds and being responsible for the lights and the siren. Drew realized the voice must belong to Officer Jenny. The Team Magma grunt growled up at the aircraft before coughing up a mouthful of smoke. The green-eyed boy smirked a little, turning back to the Weather Institute just in time to see a middle-aged man in a white lab coat running out of the glass door, now working automatically again, still pulling ropes off of his arms. Drew guessed he must've been tied up and the now free Castform had helped him escape.

"You saved the Castform!" he declared, dropping the rope onto the marshy ground. "And us! On behalf of the entire staff, I sincerely thank you." The scientist gave a slight bow and Drew rolled his eyes.

"You're welcome!" Violet replied, giving him a playful salute.

"How can we ever thank you?" asked the white-clad man with glasses.

_"Let us get going,"_ Drew thought bitterly to himself. "Don't worry about it," he replied. "We'll just be on our way."

"Oh, I know!" the man said suddenly and Drew held back a growl. "We can give you one of our Castform! There's plenty of them!" Speaking of which, one of the little, gray que-balls jumped up into the man's arms.

_"Caasst!" _The little Poke'mon squealed. Violet opened her mouth to reply but Drew cut her off.

"No thanks," the green-haired Coordinator replied with a flick of his bangs. That's when a whoosh of wind separate from those of the helicopter zoomed by and he jerked his head up just in time to see a blur of azure-blue whip through the tree tops.

"What was that?" Violet squeaked, inching ever so slightly to Drew who looked up curiously. A moment later, a large, familiar, blue Dragon Poke'mon burst out through the leaves and hovered in the air over the Institute. Atop its back was a bright-eyed, auburn-topped boy.

"If you don't want one, mate, I'll take one!" he shouted above the winds, flashing a peace sign and a wink. Drew and Violet recognized him at the same time.

"Listor!"


	21. Chapter 21

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 21: _The Great Mauville_

"So, what'cha been up too, Listor?" Violet asked as she, the explorer and Drew made their way down the marshy, grass-covered slope south of the Weather Institute.

"Oh, nothing much!" the auburn-topped boy replied with a wry smile, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Just this!" he added and pulled out a silver case. He pressed a button with his index finger and it flipped open to reveal five, bright-colored ribbons. The female Coordinator's eyes lit up in amazement and for a moment, Drew didn't hide his shock either.

"Wow! That was fast!" exclaimed Violet.

"Yeah. After meeting you guys, I got inspired," Listor chuckled.

"Hmph," Drew grunted. "Beginner's luck." He flicked his bangs and smirked at the other boy. "You can't really be intending to enter the National Grand Festival?"

"You better believe it!" he said defiantly. "Can't let you win without a challenge, now can I, mate?" The green-haired boy rolled his eyes and the sound of Violet giggling hit his ears.

"How'd you get them so fast?" she asked, looking at the red-clad boy intently.

"Let's just say I get around," Listor grinned. "Speaking of which, why are we walking?" He grabbed a poke'ball at his waist.

"Because some of us don't like to tire out our Poke'mon by having them carry us around," Drew retorted as a flash of white light from Listor's poke'ball signaled the arrival of his Salamence.

"Drew! Can we fly! Please? Please? Please?" begged the girl, bouncing up and down on her heels. Drew rolled his eyes but smiled in the back of his mind. How many times was she going to use that on him?

"I'm not going to make Flygon carry us both all the way to Mauville," he said calmly.

"No worries, mate," Listor said, tossing another poke'ball from which a Dragonite appeared. "She can ride on Dragonite." The mauve-haired girl's eyes glowed as she rushed over to the orange dragon and tried to give it a big hug, although it was much to large. Regardless, it let out a long roar and gently hugged her back. Drew's green eyes darted to the Poke'mon, Listor, and then Violet and he released Flygon from the poke'ball at his waist.

_"Rrryyiieggh!" _it cried, beating its wings.

"I don't want you riding on strange Poke'mon, Violet," he said in a matter-of-fact tone, walking over to Dragonite. "I'll ride on Dragonite. You take Flygon."

"But Dragonite isn't a strange Poke'mon! It's Listor's!" she giggled.

"Yeah, what's the matter, mate?" Listor chuckled. "Not jealous are ya?" His eyes narrowed challengingly and a small smirk curved his lips. Drew shot a glare in his friend's direction and clambered onto Dragonite's back without arguing with Violet.

_"Drrrrraaaagooo," _hummed the orange Poke'mon over its shoulder.

"Oh...fine," huffed Violet as she walked over to Flygon. The green dragon Poke'mon nudged her with its head before lowering its belly to the ground so she could get on. Drew watched as the other two Coordinators (if you wanted to call Listor a Coordinator now) heaved themselves onto their respective Poke'mon.

Flygon was the first to take off, sending Violet's hair into a ruffled mess with the gust of wind stirred up by its wings.

"Let's go, Salamence!" Listor encouraged, patting the aqua-colored neck of the great dragon. It let out a proud roar and with only a few thundering beats of its wings, it was airborne.

"Come on, Dragonite," Drew muttered, looking at the pumpkin dragon's snout from over its broad shoulder.

_"Gao," _it hummed curtly, looking away and crossing its massive arms. Drew grit his teeth as he watched the other two dragons zoom ahead.

"Why not?" he growled. Another low rumbling sound came from the back of the Dragonite's throat and the antennae-like structures on the top of its head twitched. The green-haired boy rolled his eyes. "Can we go, PLEASE?" he muttered through his teeth. A large grin spread across the Dragonite's face and a whinnying sound came from its nostrils as it lurched forward into the air, its aqua-colored wings flapped outward to expand to three times their original size. Drew was tossed forward, flat against the broad space between the orange dragon's wings. Quickly throwing his arms around its neck, he watched the ground get farther and farther away from him and the clouds get closer.

"Glad you could make it, mate," Listor smirked as Drew and Dragonite zoomed up to flank both Salamence and Flygon. The green-eyed boy rose an eyebrow and flashed his friend an exasperated look as if Listor already knew that his Poke'mon was so picky.

Dragonite's wings flexed up and down as it soared, creating even more winds than the natural ones that already were up here. Drew had to duck down, closer to the dragon's body, to keep the wind from stealing his breath right out of his lungs. It stirred up his hair, sending it into a wild fray, and he had to wince his eyes a little to keep them from stinging. He normally never flew this high with Flygon. Glancing sideways at his Poke'mon and Violet, he noticed that the elevation didn't seem to be bothering either of them even though Violet's head of mauve hair was blowing in her face and every other direction.

"Mauville city, right?" Violet called out over the beating of the dragons' wings. A wide grin was still on her face. "I'll race ya!"

"Don't tire out -" Drew was cut off. Flygon whistled happily and loudly and zoomed ahead, its steam-line body letting it cut through air like a hot knife cuts through butter. "...Flygon..." he finished under his breath and shook his head. He could just make out Listor chuckling over the sound of Dragonite's and Salamence's wings.

The three glided down into the city of Mauville in less than an hour and, naturally, Violet and Flygon touched down first.

"We won! We won!" the mauve-haired girl chirped happily, swinging her legs as she leapt off the green dragon. It whistled happily in response, craning its long neck around to look at her. Drew rolled his eyes as Dragonite landed loudly, not bothering to tell her that he and Dragonite weren't really trying and neither did Listor and Salamence more than likely. He watched as she grinned and stuck her tongue out playfully at him.

"Careful, Vi," chuckled the auburn-haired boy over the sound of Salamence's final flaps as it landed behind Dragonite. His body lurched forward the same way the dragon's did when it hit the ground. One could tell he was used to flying. "Be careful where you put that..." he trailed off, a good-natured but obviously mischief curve on his lips. The grass-haired boy turned as he hopped off Dragonite, shooting his friend a heated glare. He wasn't sure whether or not it was for the comment, or the fact that he was scolding his girlfriend - which was usually his job.

Violet withdrew her tongue, making a 'pop' sound, and turned her head to the side cutely, the way she always did when she was confused.

"Um..." she muttered, giving Listor a strange look.

"Ignore him, Violet," he grumbled as he walked past the amethyst-eyed girl, returning Flygon to its poke'ball as he did, and entered the Poke'mon center, leaving Listor to return his Poke'mon to their capsules.

Violet followed him inside, but quickly got distracted as her nose lifted a little and a warm smell reached her nostrils. She aimlessly wondered towards the smell. 'The food court, no doubt,' Drew thought to himself. He didn't worry because she always did that when they first entered a Poke'mon Center. Running a hand through his bangs, he made his way to the front counter and leaned against it slightly as he heard the double doors behind him slide open again as Listor trudged in.

"Room for two," he requested to Nurse Joy who flashed him a gentle smile and began typing away on a computer.

"Hey, don't you mean room for three, mate?" the Dragon owner asked quickly as he came up to Drew's side.

"I don't want you sleeping in the same room as Violet," he said bluntly. The average person would've just thought their opinion and said it with a bit more metaphorical sugar on top of it, but Drew was never like that.

"And what makes you any different?" Listor shot back, folding his arms and raising a red-brown eyebrow. A slight blush grazed Drew's cheeks but it quickly disappeared as he narrowed his eyes. The older boy's hands flew up in response to his friend's stare. "Chill out, mate. I wouldn't go near your girl!" Drew's eyes stayed constricted as he looked away and down at the counter he was leaning against, taking in a breath of air as he did. That's when Listor blinked a couple times, smirking slightly. "What? No denial?"

"I'm sorry, but we only have rooms for one available," Nurse Joy said suddenly, looking up from her computer. Drew exhaled in relief, although to anyone else it probably just looked like a frustrated sigh.

"That's fine," he said carelessly, eager to discard both conversations about rooms.

"One for me too," Listor said quickly.

Drew didn't wait for his friend. He got his room key and found his way to the back where the Poke'mon center's rooms were. Walking in, he glanced around for a moment and then dropped his knapsack down onto the single bed. He sat down next to it and pulled his Poke'Nav and a booklet from his bag. The little device made a slightly static-like sound as it flipped open. Drew looked at the digital map on the tiny screen and then sat down the small machine, flipping through the booklet. Not but a few moments later, he heard the door swing open and a happy Violet bounced in, dropping her bag onto the floor. Just then, a strange thought came into his head. He just realized that when they arrived at a Poke'mon Center, they hardly ever entered the room together, and Violet always found her way their afterwards. He never asked how she did it, but it was a thought he had nonetheless.

"Guess what?" she asked giddily, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"What?" he asked and raised an eyebrow just to amuse her, looking up from his handbook.

"Nurse Joy told me about the game corner! Can we go? Please? Please? Please? Plllleeeeeeeeaaaassssssee?" the grinning girl grinned, clasping her hands together, and making her eyes extra sparkly. For a moment, Drew wondered how she did that. He stood up, his arms folded.

"Fine," he huffed. He knew it was better not to argue with Violet and thinking wasn't exactly something he had to be in his room to do. She beamed brightly and gave him a tight hug. Just then, a flash of white light shot from her knapsack and then faded away to reveal the night-pelted fox-like creature with golden rings.

"'_Bre!" _it announced.

"Come on, Ghost!" Violet said excitedly, releasing her hold on Drew and charging out of the room, snatching up her bag on the way out.

"'_Bre! 'Bre!" _barked the Umbreon as it followed her out. A slightly entertained smile spread across Drew's lips and he shook his head, slowly following her out of the doorway. As he entered the hallway, the sounds of footsteps behind him stopped his own. The sound brought itself to an end as he turned on his heel to see Listor leaning against the hallway wall.

"You said yes to her, didn't you?" he smirked, looking at Drew between his long bangs. The green-haired boy rolled his eyes and turned to walk away.

"Mind your own business," he growled as he started walking away, but Listor quickly caught up with him. The older boy ignored his rudeness and shot another question at him.

"Have you kissed yet?" he asked suddenly.

"Mind your own business," Drew repeated in the same tone, as monotone as usual but secretly fighting back a blush. He wished a Donphan would roll right into the hallway and barrel his "friend" over. A memory tapped on his mind's door as he remembered having a similar thought towards contestants at the Lilycove Double's Contest. It was just then that he realized he had become a little more violent since he joined up with Violet.

Luckily, this time Listor dealt with the rejection and silently followed Drew and Violet to the game corner.

The boys sat at a round table in the corner of the large casino that was covered in warm-colored velvet from top to bottom. Violet sat a short distance away, starring intently at a slot machine. Drew was equally intrigued in the screen on his Poke'Nav while Listor had situated his chin in the palm of his hand, propped up on his elbow, and looked rather bored.

"Since when do you have a Poke'Nav, anyway?" the auburn-topped boy asked.

"Violet won it for me," Drew replied in his usual monotone, never looking away from the screen.

"Guess she's really good at games, huh?" the older boy smirked, looking up.

"No. Just lucky," the emerald-eyed Coordinator corrected in a matter-of-fact tone. Just then, a loud buzzer rung across the room and the sounds of coins gushing from a machine filled Drew's ears. He swiveled around in the maneuverable seat to look at Violet sitting at the slot machine that was indeed gushing coins.

"_Um-bre'!" _barked Ghost Ring triumphantly as it danced around in the shiny little discs at its owner's feet.

"See?" Drew added, now smirking himself as he turned back around. Listor watched the winning mauve-haired girl over Drew's shoulder for a moment before looking back at his friend.

"You never answered my questi-" He never got to finish. Drew cut him off and answered without looking up from his Poke'Nav.

"Yes. No. Happy?" he barked. Listor seemed to think for a minute.

"How'd you two end up traveling together anyway?" he asked curiously.

"I'm taking her to the National Grand Festival," the younger Coordinator explained, sighing a little at the relentless questions. He looked up to notice Listor's expression.

"You know that Slateport's just less than five miles away, right?" the Dragon owner said slowly, his face slightly distraught. A sudden realization hit Drew like a stampeding Tauros. The town that was holding the National Grand Festival, Slateport, was just a few miles south of here. He had basically gotten them there.

"I don't have all my ribbons yet," he said, folding up the Poke'Nav and shoving it in his pocket as he tried to hide the upcoming lump in his throat. He wasn't sure what it was from - or at least, he pretended he wasn't sure. It was as if he knew where this conversation was going.

"So... where are you going to go next?" asked Listor, the fact that he was pushing for answers being rather evident. Truthfully, Drew didn't know - hence his current research. "Better yet... Where's Violet going to go?" This time, Drew looked up at his friend as if he had whiplash. He probably looked rather surprised, but he knew this was coming. The only question was whether or not he was trying to fool Listor or himself.

"What do you mean?" he asked stupidly, still managing to look concerned and not quite worried yet.

"I mean... if you're just trying to get her to the Grand Festival, then you're practically there," Listor explained. "If you're not ready to go onto Slateport, what are you going to do with her?" The thought reared its ugly head in Drew's mind and he turned to look at his girlfriend over his shoulder.

"You can do it, Ghost!" Violet cheered. "Try it again!" Drew watched from his spot on the bed as the TM (Technical Movie) that Violet had bought with her prize coins played on the television in their Poke'mon Center room. She was dead ahead replaying the video, trying to get her Umbreon to learn Toxic. The green-eyed boy watched as the Ghost Ring's muscles tensed and its body shook slightly as it tried to make toxic gas pour out of the spores in its skin, to no avail of course. He sighed loudly, crossing his feet on the bed and averting his gaze to his light purple jacket that was tossed on the floor. He wore only his black sweater.

"Maybe you should take a break," he suggested quietly, not sure whether or not he was talking to Violet or Ghost Ring. She took a deep breath and flicked the 'power' button on the TV, turning it off.

"Guess so..." she muttered, looking down. Her Eevee-evolution looked up at her and tilted its head. "Take a break, Ghost," Violet grinned. It mewled happily and trotted away to Drew's back, rummaging around inside it. Normally this would've bugged the green-haired Coordinator, but his gaze was instead fixated on Violet as she started walking towards the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" he asked, watching her as she walked.

"I'm going to shower," she replied, her grin wide like usual.

"Can we talk first?" he asked, his voice cool despite the turmoil swirling around inside his head. He pulled one of his feet back and bent his knee, resting an arm on it. She cast him a strange glance but bounced over the bed and sat down in front of him.

"About what?" she chirped, turning her head curiously.

"Do you want to go to Slateport?" he questioned quickly, looking down slightly so he didn't have to quiet look into her eyes. Her confused look stayed the same. "That's where the National Grand Festival is being held," he explained.

"Oh," she chimed, her smile returning. "Of course I do, silly!" Drew knew she didn't understand the question at all, but his heart sunk anyway. In the back of his mind he growled at himself but for once he ignored his self-punishment.

"No... I mean... Do you want to go now?" he asked again. She brought a finger to her lips and looked down. Her mouth formed almost an 'o' shape and she seemed to think.

"But... You don't have all your ribbons," she said slowly.

"I know," Drew said. His voice still sounded too quick to the draw. Maybe he was speaking so quickly to hide his voice's shakiness. He mentally scolded himself for losing his cool and took a shallow breath to try and calm himself down again. "But Slateport is actually really close to Mauville... I'm asking if you want to go..." There he had asked it. He looked up and caught her gaze with his own. At first glimpse, her amethyst eyes were bright like usual, but then their dazzling quickly started to fade. Her mouth seemed to pout a little, looking almost like a rosebud. For a moment, it felt like Drew had been pricked in the heart with that very rose's thorn and he flinched inwardly. All at once his journey with Violet flooded his memory and thoughts reeled too quickly for him to register them all at once. So he just starred at her, waiting for an answer.


	22. Chapter 22

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 22: _Daycare Drama_

Violet seemed to be going over the possibilities in her head and her eyes went back and forth with what Drew assumed were her thoughts. She almost mumbled to herself under her breath, her finger at the corner of her mouth as she thought.

"I really want to go to the National Grand Festival," she said after a long time. Something inside Drew's chest twisted into a knot and then dropped into his stomach. For a moment, he thought his words went with them because his mouth dropped open a little but no words came out. He gulped and tried to speak again but his throat felt like it was caked with sand. Luckily, Violet spoke again.

"But I guess I'll just have to wait a little while longer until you get you're fifth ribbon!" she beamed, her eyes lighting up again. "Then we can go together!" A little bit of color seemed to fly back to Drew's face and he looked back up at her. "I couldn't leave my boyfriend anyway!" she giggled. The green-eyed boy let out a long-held breath, louder than he had meant to. Boyfriend? He had completely forgotten about that in his inner turmoil as to whether or not she might leave. Of course she wasn't going to go! They were...dating... ? The thought didn't make him cringe anymore, but he wondered if it could really be called "dating".

"So... where are we going next?" she asked quickly as if the entire scenario had never occurred. The green-eyed boy blinked a couple times as he shook his head free of his current thoughts and tried to replace them with new ones.

"N-not sure," he stuttered, then mentally growled at himself for it and gulped to clear his throat. "Verdanturf's the closest," he went on, his voice as steady as usual this time. "But it's contest isn't for about a week and we can get there in less than a day."

"Well, I wanna go to the closest town!" Violet demanded, a cute pout on her lips. "I don't like walking around so much!" She pulled her feet up onto the bed and held one in each hand as she sat Indian style, rocking back and forth slightly. Drew couldn't help it because the corner of his lips curved upwards into a smile before he realized it.

"Verdanturf it is then," he chuckled. "But it'll be a while before the contest."

"Does that mean we can stay in Mauville a while longer?" she asked quickly, her entire form seeming to grow an extra inch as she perked up happily. "Can I go to the game corner?" Drew shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. If she did go back to the game corner and won another jackpot, what would she spend it on? Another TM for one of her Poke'mon? That's when a sudden thought popped into his head. Violet's Poke'mon had been learning lots of new moves lately. They were getting stronger and stronger while his Poke'mon seemed, strong yes, but relatively the same. He convinced himself it was because he had less time to train while having to "baby-sit" the mauve-haired girl next to him.

Thoughts flashed back to White Fang in the cave he and Violet had ventured into on the way to Fortree. He never did tell Violet about White Fang's Water Pulse attack. His lips parted for a moment but then suddenly closed themselves. Tell Violet about the new attack and give her another asset to use against him come the National Grand Festival? Clearly, not a good idea.

"Drew?" came the sound of Violet's happily melodic voice as she tapped him on the shoulder. "Drew?" The sound of her calling his name made him shake his head and his thoughts back into reality. He blinked his eyes at her, running a hand through his hair.

"Spaced," he mumbled absentmindedly.

"Wellllllll?" Violet drug out, batting her eyelashes at him. He rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well what?" he asked.

"Are we gonna stay here a while longer? Can I go to the game corner?" Her eye-batting doubled in speed and she clasped her hands together sweetly as she looked up at him with her big, amethyst eyes. Drew had completely forgotten the entire conversation in the midst of his own thoughts.

"No," he muttered and leaned back onto the bed so his head bombed the pillow behind him as he seemed to sink into the soft material. He let out a long sigh. "We'll just go there early," he went on as a gentle smirk played its way across his lips. His girlfriend rocked backwards, sending herself down onto the bed as well, and planted her head on the pillow next to his.

"Why?" she asked, almost pouting again, her eyes wide and her mouth in that cute 'o' shape. He was sure that if she weren't lying down, her head would be turned slightly to the side for added effect.

"The fresh air in Verdanturf will do you good," he grinned as he turned his head to look at her. She blinked in confusion. "Verdanturf is known for its pure air," he explained in an almost bored tone. Violet blinked a couple more times and then met his gaze.

"Can you show me the way there?" she asked slowly in her childish tone. Drew shrugged and pulled his Poke'Nav from his jean pocket and pressed the button, making the little machine flip open and a tiny little digital screen appearing before him. A map appeared and he zoomed in on an area next to a large, red square with a blinking orange dot on it. Violet leaned over, propping her head up on his shoulder to get a better view of the Poke'Nav's screen. He didn't make any effort to push her away and watched her out of the corner of his eyes as she traced the route on the map connecting Verdanturf and Mauville.

"That's not far at all!" she giggled. She was so close Drew could feel her shake as she laughed.

"No," he agreed. "It's hardly an hour's walk." That's when a dainty finger came between his nose and the digital screen.

"What's that?" asked the mauve-haired girl, pointing to a blue dot on the route connecting the two cities. At first, Drew rose an eyebrow and then he winced as he examined the screen.

"Not sure," he said after a few moments, turning off the Poke'Nav with a push of a button. "Guess we'll find out." Suddenly, Drew felt the bed creak and the pressure on his shoulder lifted as he looked over to see Violet sit up from where she was laying. Then, she turned back and looked at him over her shoulder and he put his hands under his head. "What?" he asked in a monotone. A wide grin spread across her face.

"Nothing," she beamed, purple eyes sparkling.

The only light that came in was that from the moon through the small window from the Poke'mon Center's room. Drew lay on his side of the bed, shirtless but wearing his jeans, with just the sheets on top of him. The quilt was neatly folded up at the foot of the bed. His sleepless stare watched the starts twinkle through the window boredly as the door to the bathroom opened. He didn't have to turn over to know that Violet was walking out of the bathroom, her hair tied up into a ponytail - because she had taken to sleeping that way for some reason -, her small, pink pajamas on, and was stretching and letting out a cute yawn. She always did that.

He felt the bed creak as she crawled into bed on her side, getting under the sheets. She also disregarded the quilt - it was too hot. Drew didn't bother to turn over and acted as if he was already asleep.

"Drew?" she whispered in a happy but soft voice. Again, he didn't respond in hopes of her thinking he was already in the world of the unawake.

"Drew?" she repeated, and this time poked his back between his shoulder blades. He had flinched and squirmed away from her touch before he realized it. He heard a giggle come from her mouth and he sighed loudly.

"What?" he growled without turning over. She giggled again but said nothing and shimmied over to him and hugged him from behind, putting her arms around his stomach. He groaned and tried to push her away with his elbow.

"It's too hot for your nonsense," he said under his breath, raising an arm backwards to push her back.

"Aw, you're no fun, Drew-bee!" she teased and poked him between the shoulder blades again. Drew twitched and arched away from her touch. If she found out that was his only ticklish spot ... he'd never be able to say 'no' to her again.

"Go to sleep, Violet," he grumbled. He could hear a wordless whine come from her lips.

"Fine," she mumbled with what he imagined was a pout and snuggled up to his back regardless of his displeasure. He sighed but decided it was best not to worry about it and closed his eyes.

"So, where you heading, mate?" Listor asked, tightening the strap of his knapsack on his shoulder.

"Verdanturf," Drew replied with a shrug. Meanwhile, he felt semi-gloved hands gripping one of his shoulders lightly as their owner rocked up and down in her heels and, in the process, pushing up and down on his shoulder. "What?" he hissed under his breath and over his shoulder.

"Game...corner..." Violet pleaded, a large smile on her face and her eyelashes batting at top speed.

"No," the green-haired boy growled only to hear the older boy chuckle. A loud whine came from the girl's lips as they curved downwards into a pout. He could feel the touch on his shoulder disappear and the sensation of someone next to him disappeared. He rolled his eyes and his hand dashed over just in time to grab Violet's by the wrist before she could slip away.

"Stay," he groaned out, but smirked slightly. An even louder whine came out of Violet's mouth as she let herself stay in Drew's grasp.

"What are you going to do with her?" Listor chuckled, placing a hand on his hip and grinning at his friend. Drew shrugged and ran his free hand through his bangs. "Sure you don't want to head on to Slateport with me, Violet?" the Dragon owner asked, looking over at the mauve-haired girl. Drew felt his eye twitch a little in annoyance but said nothing.

"I'm sure. Thanks anyway, Listor," she replied, ditching her pout in favor of a smile. "I'd rather stay with my boyfriend," Violet giggled and, seemingly have forgotten the fact that Drew wouldn't let her go to the Game Corner, clung to one of his arms, pulling herself to him. The grass-haired boy looked down at her, giving her an un-amused look despite the heat that rushed to his face. He looked up in time to see the older boy shoot him a sly grin to which he replied to with a glare.

"He gets it, Violet," Drew mumbled. The muscles in his arm twitched to push her away but he was glad he didn't have to when her grip loosened a little. Listor rose an eyebrow and chuckled softly.

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing ya around, mate," he chuckled, gripping his bag strap tighter and starting to turn on his heel.

"You're not going to ride on Salamence?" Drew asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's like you said," the auburn-headed boy replied with a grin. "I shouldn't always tire my Poke'mon out." With that, he turned completely and began to slowly walk away. Drew glanced sideways to see a frown on Violet's face.

"See you soon, Listor! Bye!" she cried out. As he walked away, he flashed a wave without looking.

"Let's get going," Drew murmured and grabbed Violet by the hand again, eager to get out of Mauville. Thoughts of their earlier time together, back in the Kanto region, flooded his memory in which he would always push her hand away everytime she grabbed his hand. He found it ironic now that he had been the one to grab her hand. Biting his bottom lip, he shook the thought away and released her hand as they began walking. Immediately, she spoke up and Drew could imagine the look on her face - cutely confused - without looking.

"You okay?" she asked, tilting her head. He cursed to himself. She always knew when his thought process was off. How did she do that?

"Fine," he mumbled through his teeth and kept on walking.

The two quickly made their way through Mauville City, even though Drew had to drag Violet past the Game Corner. They reached the outskirts of the city and one could tell that the land had been cultivated. It was flat and grassy, seemingly in the middle of an open field dotted with a few trees. A path had been set out from the city, going straight towards a small town that could be seen in the distance. Fences were set up on either side of the path.

"I can see Verdanturf," squealed Violet with a grin.

"Told you it wasn't far," he murmured, not stopping. Violet bounced after him.

"Wonder what the fences are for?" she thought outloud. Drew opened his mouth to give his best-guess but the hyper girl cut him off. "Ooh! Look!" she giggled, pointing ahead. He looked up to see somewhat large, wooden building sitting on the edge of the pathway between lengths of fence. It was longer than it was wide, going back far into the field behind it. "That must be what we saw on the Poke'Nav," guessed Violet as she ran up to the front of it. Drew followed her to the front as the sounds of Poke'mon cries and twitters reached his ears. They were probably playing in the tall grass behind the building. "Poke'mon Daycare?" Violet read slowly, tilting her head to the side. Drew scoffed loudly.

"It's for lazy people who don't want to train their own Poke'mon," he growled. He had heard of places like this back in his hometown...homecity...whatever it would be called. That's when the door burst open with a loud smack and Drew and Violet jumped backwards in surprise.

"Eeek!" squeaked the female Coordinator as she threw herself backwards. "W-whoooahh!" Loosing her balance, she flailed her arms wildly - to no avail - and fell back onto her behind. Drew didn't say anything, but he blinked a few times at the elderly lady that had come out of the door. She was barely an inch taller than Drew and her back was only slightly arched. She wore a really long pale pink skirt and a gray blouse and her silver hair was tied up in a bun on top of her head. Her wrinkled face was stretched into an extremely large smile.

"On contraire," she said with a smile. "We're more of a Poke'mon get-away than a Poke'mon training center." Drew sighed and rolled his eyes but dropped the subject. How did that old lady hear his statement from inside the building anyways?

"You scared us!" Violet gasped from on the ground. The old lady's smile turned into a motherly frown and she held out a hand for Violet.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dearie," she cooed, helping the amethyst-eyed girl to her feet. "What brings you young'uns around here?" she asked, smiling again.

"We're going to the Poke'mon Contest in Verdanturf," explained Violet. "I'm Violet - and this is my boyfriend, Drew," she went on. Drew sighed and ran a hand through his hair at the introduction.

"Drew, eh?" repeated the old lady. "Aren't you that famous Poke'mon Coordinator?" she mused, raising an eyebrow and grinning, leaning towards him. The green-haired boy's eye twitched a little because, frankly, the old lady was creepy looking.

"Yeah?" he mumbled in an awkward tone. The elderly woman leaned back and beamed at Violet.

"Quite a catch," she giggled quietly to which Violet responded to with giggles of her own. Drew rolled his eyes, gruffly putting a hand on his hip and tightening his grip on his bag strap impatiently. "You can call me the daycare lady, dearie," she finally introduced herself, shaking one of Violet's fingerlessly gloved hands with both of her own.

"You run the whole daycare?" Violet asked, her eyes lighting up like Christmas lights.

"Well, with my husband," the daycare lady replied with a chuckle. "But he's away on a trip at the moment." Drew secretly envied the old guy. "Would you like to come in?" she asked politely, standing aside and ushering the two in.

"Thank you!" the mauve-haired girl smiled and pranced in. The daycare lady gave Drew an expecting look and he sighed. He rather be on his way to Verdanturf, but (not one to refuse the offer of an elderly woman - as that would be even too rude for him) he went on inside.

The inside of the building kept its wooden appearance - much like a log cabin. A brick fireplace (which was turned off and looked like it had been that way for a while) was on one wall a stove was on another. A small leather couch sat on the edge of rug next to the fireplace and a small table with a hand-knit cloth over it sat in front of them. A small blue vase with a Roselia's rose in it sat on top of it and Drew felt himself glare angrily at the flower. The corner of the room had a hallway that led into darkness and a door stood between the hallway and the fireplace leading to probably a series of back rooms where they kept Poke'mon, Drew guessed.

"Please stay as long as you like," the daycare lady said with a smile. "It gets lonely around here without my husband around." He noticed as Violet's eyes got wide and bright and the gears in her mind already started turning. He opened his mouth to stop her before she asked but he was a second too late.

"Ooh! Can we stay here a few days? Please! Please! Please! Pllleeeeeeaaasssee!" she begged, clasping her hands together. He let out a loud breath and held his forehead.

Moments later, Drew found himself in one of the back rooms from the hallway, dropping his knapsack onto a small bed.

"Hehehe," Violet giggled, walking in behind him. "Thanks, Drew!" He rolled his eyes and muttered some incoherent response as he undid the string that held his bag together.

"Oh, no, dearie," came the soft, happy voice of the daycare lady as she came in and put her arm around Violet, guiding her out and down the hall. "Your room is down this way," Drew heard her mutter as they left the room. He couldn't help but turn and watch as they left, raising an eyebrow. He and Violet were going to stay in different rooms? He couldn't help but to smirk as he fell back onto the bed, letting out a sigh of relief. About time! Maybe he'd get a good-night's sleep for once!

He stepped out of the back door of the building into the field behind the daycare center to see large groups of Poke'mon giddily hopping around. They were so many he was surprised he didn't see them before. Furret frolicked up and down in the grass, Bellossom danced in cute little groups, a couple larger Poke'mon like a Snorlax and a Slaking laid their back against each other and the back fence as they snoozed, water Poke'mon splashed in little ponds dotting the field, and a few flying and ghost Poke'mon chased each other around above his head. He felt Violet step up beside him, holding all her poke'balls in her hands.

"Come on out, everyone!" she exclaimed and a series of bright lights erupted from the capsules. Onyx Ice appeared, it's long arms crossed and its nose in the air. Dark Thorn materialized from the white light, sitting on its rump and scratching an ear with its back foot. Ghost Ring came into view, one of its tall ears flicking cutely, its big, red eyes wide. Finally, White Fang emerged as the lights faded away. It tilted its head and horn, looking at Violet. Drew followed suit and released his Poke'mon from their capsules. Roselia, Flygon, Masquerain, and Vaporeon flashed him happy faces and smiles.

"Go on, you guys," Violet cooed. "Go play!" She was responded to with happy cries and barks before the Poke'mon bounded away into the field to meet some of the others. He watched as Violet hurried out into the field herself to play with the Poke'mon while he just leaned back against the building wall, a small smile on his lips. His emerald eyes scanned over the open area of grass and the dozens of Poke'mon. That's when a tall - it came up to his waist - cream-colored fox Poke'mon daintily padded up to the door next to Drew.

"_Nine," _it whined in a surprisingly gruff voice as it pawed at the door. _"Nine!" _it repeated in a louder tone and began clawing at it.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, kneeling down to the Ninetales' level, running his hands over its incredibly soft fur. Its ears flattened and its sad eyes looked at the boy.

"_Nine..." _it murmured, all nine of its tails drooping. That's when the door opened and the daycare lady stepped out.

"Hey, what's wrong with this Ninetales?" Drew asked, standing up again and crossing his arms.

"Oh, that's Charles," she explained. "His mate is inside and he's edging to get in to see her." She stepped aside and Charles anxiously weaved his body through the door and quickly padded inside. His curiosity peaking, Drew found himself following the Ninetales back inside. Charles seemed to know his way around so he immediately lead Drew into one of the backrooms (one that Drew guessed he could get to through that door from the front entrance of the building) where mammalian Poke'mon were curled up in soft beds with smaller versions of themselves (or their pre-evolved forms) curled up next to their bellies. 'The maternity room,' Drew supposed and watched as Charles padded up to another Ninetales with an enlarged belly curled up in the back. He couldn't help but smile as he walked up to the pair and kneeled down next to the pregnant Ninetales. His eyes fell on a pink collar that wrapped around her cream-colored neck. The collar read 'Carletta' on it, written in curly-que letters.

"Hey, girl," he smiled and petted the her head between her ears.

"_Niii..." _she sighed in a tired voice as Charles licked her cheek.

"_Nine!" _he barked. He tilted his head as he watched the pair. Poke'mon never seemed to bug him - unlike people. With all of them around, perhaps hanging around here a few days wouldn't be so bad.

The sound of the door creaking open stirred Drew from sleep.

"Up and at 'um!" called the daycare lady. His emerald eyes slowly fluttered open to look at the window but didn't see the sun's light coming into his temporary bedroom. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Wha...? It's probably four in the morning..." he muttered groggily.

"Exactly!" beamed the older lady before walking away from the door entrance and down the hall. Drew exhaled loudly and threw his sheets off as he got out of bed, suddenly taking back any liking of this place he might've obtained yesterday.

After getting properly dressed, he made his way into the bathroom across from his room. He turned on the sink and splashed the cold water on his face. As the cool droplets started to wake him up, he wondered how Violet was fairing, knowing how much she hated getting up early. Patting his face dry with a towel, he left and found his way down the hallway and opened up the door to Violet's room to find her still asleep in bed. She was curled up into something of a ball, just the sheets covering her body, and her hair pulled up into a messing ponytail. He smirked, shaking his head, and walked over to her bedside.

"Hey, sleeping beauty," he chuckled, nudging her shoulder. "Get up." She mumbled something in her sleep and shoved him away. He made a 'huff' sound, putting a hand on his hip. "If you don't get up, I'll imagine you'll miss breakfast," he said. Then, sure enough, a muzzy Violet sat up in bed, her eyes half open. He smirked to himself; it worked everytime.

"I didn't sleep very well last night," she whispered in a soft voice, rubbing her eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle at her expression.

"Come on. Get dressed," he said, folding his arms. "I'll meet you in the kitchen," he added, making a motion to leave the room. Before he left, he turned and peeked back into her room over his shoulder to see her stumbling out of bed. He smirked and rolled his eyes, walking on.

When Violet finally reached the table in the kitchen, her hair brushed out and her usual clothes on, Drew was already eating a waffle.

"Look who finally made it," he chuckled after swallowing. In the back of his mind, he realized he was in a rather unusually good mood. Despite the remark, Violet flashed him a grin and sat down at her own plate of food. Her eyes lit up and she immediately cut a too-large slice and stuffed it in her mouth.

"If you don't mind, kids - I could use help with some of the Poke'mon. Do you mind?" asked the daycare lady, sitting down across from Drew at the table with her own food.

"Mmhmm," Violet mumbled through a mouthful of waffle. The old lady gave a quiet chuckle.

"Sure," Drew translated with a cynical smile.

"How did I get stuck bathing the Rhydon?" Drew growled as the large, gray-scaled Poke'mon pushed away the mop-sized brush in the boy's hands and its massive hands grabbed the hose, pointing it at him which resulted in the Coordinator getting blasted with a stream of cool water. The Rhydon gave a deep, loud laugh and put the hose down. Drew folded his arms, soaked from head to foot, and shot the rock-type a glare. Shaking his head to rid his hair of some of the water and get it out of his eyes, he picked up the sudsy brush again, grateful that the daycare lady had convinced him to wear his swim trunks to bathe the Poke'mon.

"Guess you're just lucky," Violet giggled as she kneeled next to a little Skitty in her black one-piece suit, running her hands through its sudsy, pink fur. Drew shot her a slightly agitated glance from across the large, basement-like room they were in. The daycare lady called this the 'washroom' even though it was more like a warehouse. The ceiling was high and the floor was concrete. The walls were lined with sprinklers and hoses. Drew wondered why they daycare lady and her husband discarded the idea of using tubs to bathe Poke'mon but understood when he ran into the likes of Rhydon. Speaking of which, the large Poke'mon turned the hose on him again. Drew's eyes went wide as the water collided with him. Sputtering some out of his mouth, he threw his arms up to protect himself from the onslaught of water - only to fail, of course. Across the room, the Skitty and Violet rolled on the ground, laughing hysterically. As the Rhydon let up its cruelty, Drew glared at his girlfriend through his dripping wet bangs.

"It's not funny," he growled, but Violet pretended to ignore him as she gently held the hose over Skitty's back and rinsed its strawberry fur. Drew continued to stare at her and a slow smirk came across his lips as he held out his hand towards the Rhydon next to him. The great rock-type Poke'mon turned its head in confusion and let out a low rumbling sound but handed him the hose nonetheless. Gripping the hose, he started to walk towards the mauve-haired girl. Violet looked up just in time to see the water rush forward as she got blasted with it. She threw her hands up and squealed in surprise. With a chuckle, Drew lowered the water hose.

"Still find it funny?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kinda," she giggled. That's when a pair of Eevee evolutions pranced through the entrance to the washroom. The two sat down in the entrance way, ears flicking as they watched their owners. They exchanged a couple looks.

"_Nya?" _Vaporeon cooed, tilting its head.

"_Bre'," _grinned Ghost Ring and flicked a tall, ringed ear.

"Flygon, use dragon rush!" commanded Drew to his green-dragon. Flygon's powerful wings surged as it propelled itself forward, a glowing aura around its claws. Unfortunately, the light fizzled away after a few seconds.

"_Rreeiiighh," _it hummed sadly, turning its head to its Coordinator sadly. Drew sighed in frustration.

"Don't worry, Flygon. You'll get it," he told the green dragon slowly despite his irritation.

"That wasn't too bad," Violet giggled cheekily from behind. She sat cross-legged in the soft grass, surrounded by not only his and her Poke'mon, but quiet a few others as well. For instance, a little Cleffa sit in her lap.

"Don't you have something to do?" Drew groaned, turning to look at her. "Aren't you still trying to teach Ghost Ring toxic?" he suggested.

"I rather watch Drew-bee get all cranky," she chortled, covering her mouth as she laughed cutely. Drew felt his eye twitch a little and he stomped his foot.

"I'm not cranky!" he growled. "And don't call me that!" This only got more giggles out of the female Coordinator.

"Aww, Drew-bee's cranky," she teased, pointing at him. He felt heat rush to his face - whether it was from anger or something else he wasn't entirely sure. Rolling his eyes, he took a deep breath and pushed away his agitation.

"Hey," she squeaked and sat down the Cleffa before jumping up. "Since you want to train, how about we have a friendly battle?" Drew rose an eyebrow at her suggestion.

"Fine," he said after a long while.

The two stood a decent distance apart in the wide, open field.

"Ghost Ring, let's go!" Violet called and from her side, the Umbreon leapt onto the "field".

"Flygon!" Drew exclaimed as the green dragon flew forward and landed in front of the Umbreon with a battle cry.

"_Bre'!" _it barked bravely.

"We'll start! Flygon, use seismic toss!" declared Drew and his Poke'mon quickly snatched up the smaller Umbreon in its claws, flying up high. It did a front-flip, ready to throw Ghost Ring down towards the ground.

"Ghost, use mean look!" shouted Violet. Ghost Ring's wide eyes started glowing an even brighter red than they already were and Flygon's body stiffened. "Wiggle free!"

"_Bre'!" _it woofed and wriggled its lean little body free of Flygon's grasp, diving towards the ground. It turned itself forward, landing nimbly and safely on its paws.

"Shadow ball!" cried the mauve-haired girl and Ghost Ring's little mouth opened. A dark orb materialized in front of it before it snapped its head sideways, firing the glob of darkness up towards Flygon.

"Flygon!" Drew shouted. "Snap out of it and dodge!" Flygon shook its long neck back and forth, blinking as it came out from underneath Ghost Ring's spell. It's strong wings propelled it out of the way just in time and the shadow ball zoomed past. "Now use dragonbreath!"

"_Reeeiiighh!" _it whinnied, soaring around in a ring and hovering above the ground as a burst of bright green energy erupted from its mouth and sped for the Umbreon.

"_Quick attack!" _Violet ordered.

"_Bre'!" _barked the Umbreon curtly and dashed forward out of the way of the green flames. With lighting-fast speed, it rushed forward, slamming into Flygon's stomach. It stumbled backwards in the air, but regained its balance quickly and easily.

"_Aerial ace!" _retaliated Drew. Flygon gave a jubilant cry and thrust itself through the air. It zoomed up, doing a loop-de-loop, and by the time it zoomed towards Ghost Ring it was flying at top speed. The Umbreon had no where to go and Flygon's broad wings slammed into its little, black body. It was tossed up into the air, but it curled itself up into a ball, flipping backwards and landing on its paws. It shook its head before assuming a fighting stance.

"Dark pulse!" announced the female Coordinator and a ripple of dark energy surged through Ghost Ring's fur before spreading outward.

"Fly over it and get in close," Drew yelled, gritting his teeth at the attack. Flygon whinnied and soared upwards, over the attack. Its streamline-like body let it glide in towards Umbreon in no time.

"Shadow ball!" she reacted and her Umbreon quickly fired an orb of dark energy at Flygon.

Slap it back!" Drew ordered.

"_Reeigh!" _screeched the dragon and batted the orb backwards with a wing. The orb flew back towards Umbreon and nailed it in the face, but the darkness disbanded and misted away in front of Ghost Ring's muzzle. Drew growled under his breath, remembering how dark-types were extremely resistant to ghost moves.

Thinking fast, Flygon swiveled around and slammed its powerful tail into Umbreon.

"_Umbre'!" _it howled as it was slapped to the ground. It winced, its body twitching.

"Moonlight!" Violet said quickly, a sly smile on her lips. Drew noticed it all the way from across their battlefield - it was one of those "Shadow smirks" and the image always sent a little chill through him. Ghost Ring threw back its head and let out something of a howl as a small, silver moon appeared over its head. The moonbeams washed down over its body and the rings on its legs, ears, and tail glowed gold as it got to its feet. The moon faded away and it barked triumphantly.

"_Bre!" _it said, ready again, but slightly distracted with its healing.

"Aerial ace!" Drew declared so quickly that Flygon had crashed into the Umbreon before it or its owner had saw it coming. It skidded back on its paws, growling defiantly at Flygon. Across the field, Drew saw Violet grit her teeth and he smirked, aware that he was completely overpowering her Eevee-evolution. "Now use seismic toss!" he ordered.

"_Reeiighh!" _Flygon replied and charged in towards Ghost Ring.

"Toxic!" Violet shouted with such confidence that Drew blinked. Ghost Ring hadn't even mastered that move yet. Quickly, the Umbreon dropped down and its muscles started rippling with the effort. "I know you can do it!" the mauve-haired girl shouted.

"_Bre'!" _it barked, its ears perking up and its eyes flashing bright red as a deep, purple smog erupted from its body and encased the Poke'mon in its cloud. Drew's eyes widened in surprise and his Flygon pulled back with its wings, forcing itself into a halt just in front of the purple fog. Its sudden stop stirred up the mist and it flared up in its scaly, green face.

"_Rrriiieeeeigghh!" _it cried, shaking its head back and forth in distress, letting out squeaky coughs.

"Dark pulse!" Violet ordered and Ghost Ring leapt from the confines of the lavender smoke, dark energy rippling from its fur. The shadowy aura spread and washed over Flygon. It let out a cry and was tossed backwards, skidding across the ground with a wince. Drew's eyes fell on his Poke'mon's face and noticed dark, intoxicating circles beneath its eyes. He hissed under his breath. If they were going to win, they'd have to do it quickly.

"Dragonbreath!" he shouted quickly and Flygon let loose a jet of green flame from its mouth.

"Shadow ball!" Violet fought back. Ghost Ring fired a quick ball of darkness towards the dragonbreath and the two attacks collided with the green energy wrapping itself around the black orb.

"_Reeeiiigh..." _Flygon whinnied weakly as it slumped to all-four's. That poison was too powerful.

"Knock that orb into Flygon!" the female Coordinator went on.

"Bre'!" barked the Umbreon as it rushed for and jumped into the air, twisting so it could slam its tail into the burning green orb that floated in the center of them. The force sent the ball of green fire speeding towards Flygon. The defenseless green dragon looked up just in time to see the sphere crash into it. It cried out loudly and was tossed back onto its back, hitting the ground.

"Flygon, can you get up?" Drew asked hopefully. The green dragon's muscles twitched as it tried to sit up, but it muttered something tiresomely and fell back down. Drew sighed and gave a weak smile, walking over and kneeling next to his Poke'mon's face. "Good job," he muttered, pulling a plump, pink berry from his pocket.

"_Reeiighh," _it hummed gratefully and took the Pecha berry from Drew's hand. The green-haired boy rubbed its head before standing up and shooting a glance at his girlfriend who was celebrating with her winning Umbreon cradled in her arms. She looked up at him and slowly walked over.

"You okay, Flygon?" she asked sweetly, petting its flank.

"_Reeiigh," _it replied with a nod and touched her shoulder with its tail. She giggled as Drew folded his arms and glared at her.

"You stole that trick from me," he said sternly, remembering how he and defeated Randal on the S.S. Tidal with a similar trick.

"I learn by example," she smiled nervously, coming to stand by his side. "Sorry." He looked over at her and blinked at her amethyst eyes. For a moment he was silent then he sighed.

"Good job," he muttered under his breath, holding back his anger. He had now lost two battles to Violet - and that was two too many. "Congratulations," he said in a monotone and brushed her away. He turned to walk back into the house.

"Drew," she called after him and hurried to catch up to him. He felt both of her hands take one of his as she pulled him to a stop. His heels planted, he refused to turn around and look at her. "Are you upset?" she asked.

"No," he lied without looking at her. He listened as she let out a sigh and then watched as she made her way to his front and looked him in the eye.

"It was just one battle, Drew. Please don't be upset," she begged and clasped her hands together, only this time she had one of his between them. He was about to open his mouth with a retort but stopped himself and looked over her features. Her rose-bud lips were out in a pout and her purple eyes sported a glossy sheen. Something in his chest cavern decided to spin around for a moment before landing roughly and he gulped to clear his throat.

"I'm not upset," he told her with an exasperated sigh. "Promise," he added with a slightly forced smile on his face. Violet tilted her head to the side.

"Well...okay," she settled and smiled sweetly, leaning in and kissing him swiftly on the cheek. Flashing a grin, she turned and started prancing back towards the house. He blinked as he watched her go, his fingertips brushing against the skin on his face where her lips had been. For a moment, he felt a rush of heat on his cheeks but then he growled at himself and shook his head. He rubbed the back of his palm across his cheek, as if he could wipe the kiss away.

Drew triumphantly grasped the large, golden trophy as the confetti showered down over him and his Poke'mon. Flygon whinnied loudly, Masquerain and Flygon fluttered happily above his head, and Roselia and Vaporeon cooed at his feet. A stadium that wrapped up around the stage that he stood on was filled with screaming, clapping fans.

"Congratulations!" shouted a guy over an intercom. "Give around of applause to Drew for winning the National Grand Festival!" The screams of the people in the stands grew louder and Drew thought he recognized a particular voice off to his right. He looked to see Violet clapping and cheering happily from the side lines. His eyes lit up as she started to make her way towards him.

"Guess you're the best Coordinator in the world now, huh?" she giggled, her purple eyes bright. He gave no response but it didn't matter. Before he realized it, she had thrown her arms around his neck in a massive hug, making him drop the trophy. He didn't make a notion to pick it back up. Instead, he pushed her away slightly so he could see her face. "Congratulations," she said softly and leaned in towards his face. Drew's heart fluttered in his chest and his eyes widened slightly, but he couldn't find it in himself to move.

He could barely feel her breath on his lips when his eyes burst open to see the wall of the bedroom, moonlight trickling in through the small window. He sat bolt upright in bed, his chest rising and falling a little quicker than normal. His emerald eyes blinked in the darkness as he came back into reality.

"A dream," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. He felt his cheeks, which were ever so slightly hot, and he growled to himself. 'Two more seconds...' he snarled inside his mind. Two more seconds and they would've been...

He shook his head, trying to rid his mind of that thought, surprised at himself for wishing the dream hadn't ended. With a groan, he flung himself back onto his pillow with a loud sigh. Turning over on his side, he looked at the other side of the room. Part of him expected to see Violet laying on the other side of the bed but when he didn't see her, he found himself growling under his breath and turned over to his other side. Closing his eyes, he waited for sleep to come. But as long as he laid there, nothing even resembling a dream came into his sight, only darkness. Aggravated, his eyes flew open and he sat up again. For the longest time he had been forced to share a bed with Violet. Throughout the course of that, he had been nothing but annoyed with her constant cuddling, poking, and uses of him as a teddy bear, but now that she wasn't here nagging him, he couldn't sleep! He groaned and got out of bed, pulling on his jeans_. 'Can never win,'_ he thought to himself as he wondered into the hallway.

He quietly made his to Violet's room and eased the door open.

"Violet?" he called in almost a whisper, slipping into her room. He closed the door behind him and at the sound, Violet sleepily turned over so she faced him.

"Drew?" she muttered in a half-sleep, half-awake limbo-like state. "What are you doing in here?" Drew was glad it was dark because he felt a slight blush come onto his face.

"I was wondering if you were sleeping okay," he told her softly, sitting down on the bed. It was only partially a lie.

"Not really," she giggled a little, blinking up at him. His lips curved upwards into a smile before he realized it.

"Me neither," he said truthfully.

"Miss me?" he heard her mutter in a teasing voice. He smirked down at her, a playful glare in his eyes.

"Shut up," he growled, laying down next to her. She laughed delicately and pulled herself to him, snuggling against his chest. At first, Drew felt his muscles twitch a little but then he remembered being alone in the room down the hall so he let her. Surprisingly (even to himself), he put his arm around her comfortingly and leaned his head against hers. His eyes drifted closed and lazy thoughts swam around inside his head. He couldn't keep from asking himself if this was better or worse than his dream. He never did answer himself because his consciousness faded away into sleep.

Drew slowly woke up, a smile on his face. He expected to open his eyes to see Violet laying next to him but when he did, she wasn't there. He sat up abruptly, looking this way and that for his girlfriend. Finally deciding she wasn't around, he sighed. Perhaps this was how Violet felt everytime she woke up without him. He got up out of bed and quickly got dressed before stepping out into the hallway. His footsteps were silent as he made his way towards the kitchen. He was about to step into view when the voice of the daycare lady stopped him.

"So, dearie," she began. "The two of you are together?"

'_Nosy old granny,' _Drew thought to himself with a sneer, but his curiosity wouldn't let him appear just yet. Instead, he hung back in the safety of the hallway and pressed his back to the wall as he listened out.

"Yeah," Violet replied with a happy giggle. Drew couldn't see but he could imagine the smile on her face.

"He's really cute," the daycare lady said in a teasing, motherly voice. An awkward blush came onto his face. That old lady thought he was ... cute? Yuck!

"Y-yeah, I guess he is," he heard his girlfriend stutter and could imagine the pink on her face. His blush faded away to make room for his ego and he smirked at her response. "He seems kind of ..." Violet paused. Knowing her, she was probably thinking of the right word - Drew guessed. "...wary of us sometimes," she finished. Drew wouldn't argue. He never had any intentions of liking anyone, let alone Violet, and even still the thought annoyed him from time to time. And yet other times, he didn't know what he was feeling or thinking.

"Don't worry, dearie," the daycare lady said in a calm voice. "That'll change. All boy's are confused about that sorta thing. My husband was."

"Really?" Violet piped up.

"Oh yes," the daycare lady said and started to drawl on about some story that Drew couldn't really care less about. The conversation no longer intriguing, Drew made a motion to enter the kitchen but suddenly stop himself. No, he'd make them think he was still asleep and nab some time alone. With silent footsteps, he snuck through the back door that led into the Poke'mon rooms. Without really thinking, his feet led him to the maternity room. With a sudden realization of where he was, he immediately found his way to Carletta in the back. He smiled, kneeling next to her.

"Hey," he said softly, rubbing his hand over her swollen belly.

"_Nine," _muttered the Ninetales and leaned over, nudging him nicely with her cold nose. He noticed how her ears were kind of flattened at all nine of her tails looked straighter than usual. He tilted his head a little in confusion.

"You feeling okay, girl?" he asked, petting her between the ears. Before Carletta could answer, he heard the door behind him open and Violet emerged into the room.

"Oh, you're awake!" she declared, making her way over to him. "Breakfast is ready," she told him, taking one of his hands absentmindedly. 'So much for time alone,' he thought even though he didn't really mind. He nodded but gave his girlfriend no other response as he ran his hand down the length of Carletta's side. He felt the muscles beneath his fingers twitch and he rose an eyebrow. "You coming?" the mauve-haired girl asked, tilting her head in that cute way that she does.

"Err.." Drew was cut off by a sudden yelp from the Ninetales in front of him. Her ears perked up and he watched as her convulsed slightly as a single yelp turned into a loud wail. Violet jumped backwards in surprise and fear.

"Go get the daycare lady!" he ordered quickly over his shoulder to the mauve-haired girl.

"Wha... What's wrong with her?" his girlfriend asked. Drew heard the trembling in her voice.

"I think Carletta's about to lay her egg."


	23. Chapter 23

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 23: _That's Eggs-actly Right!_

The squeaking of Violet's sneakers prodded at Drew's ears as she paced back and forth in front of the breakfast table. He leaned back in his chair, his dull eyes slowly following her.

"Quit working yourself up," he muttered. "You're going to wear a hole in the floorboards."

"But what if something goes wrong with Carletta?" the girl cried, her eyes glossy. She stopped her pacing and stood across from Drew at the small, wooden table, twiddling her fingers nervously. The male Coordinator flicked his grassy bangs from his eyes and sighed.

"The daycare lady has done this loads of times. Carletta's going to be fine," he assured her, standing up his chair. That's when he noticed the sounds of footsteps coming from behind him. He turned around just in time to see the daycare lady appear from the hallway. She was carrying a soft pink cloth that she was rubbing her old hands with. By its shading, Drew could tell it was warm and a bit damp.

"Carletta and her egg are doing fine," the old lady said softly with a big grin. "You should come see them." Drew watched as Violet's eyes lit up and she immediately rushed down the hallway in a blur of purple hair. Slower, and much more calmly, the boy followed her down the hallway towards the maternity room. When he got there, the door and been tossed open. He stepped inside, quickly spotting Violet's purple head among the pelts of Poke'mon. Making his way to the back of the room, he saw his girlfriend kneeled next to a familiar pair of fox Poke'mon. Charles stood next to his mate, Carletta who had her long, lean, creamy body curled around an egg. It was a gentle cinnamon color and had curl shapes going along its sides. The female Ninetales gave the shell a proud lick as Violet ran her hand over the fox's head.

"We'll give Carletta some time with it before we put it in the egg room," came the voice of the daycare lady as she came up behind Drew. He blinked at her over his shoulder. "Egg room?" he repeated.

Drew followed, with Violet on his heels, the daycare lady into one of the backrooms that he had never been in before. The walls were white as opposed to the usual log decor that adorned the rest of the house. Rows upon rows of shelves lined with poke'ball holders were sat up evenly from the front to the back of the room but instead of poke'balls, they held brightly colored eggs in every slot and a nametag was placed beneath every single one.

The daycare lady carried Carletta's egg with her hands but kept them beneath the confines of the soft pink cloth. She made her way to an empty slot in the middle of the first row and sat the cinnamon colored egg in its place. The nametag beneath the slot already had a little white strip of paper in it that read 'Vulpix'.

"I can't believe you have this many eggs back here!" Violet exclaimed, her eyes wide and sparkly in amazement as she gazed around at all the Poke'mon eggs. "Ooh! This one is pretty!" she cooed and dashed past Drew to the end of one of the shelves, closing in on an small egg that was completely colored in what was almost the exact same shade of purple as her hair. A poison or a ghost type, he would guess.

"How long until Carletta's egg hatches?" Drew asked, turning his attention back to the daycare lady as he folded his arms.

"It could be a while," the daycare lady answered with an unusually happy grin. "But Charles and Carletta are special Poke'mon so their offspring will be special, and things worth being special - are worth waiting for!" With her wide, creepy smile never leaving her face, she walked past the green-eyed boy and out the door. Rolling his eyes, Drew turned on his heel to see Violet practically hyper-spacing herself around the room as she ooh'ed and aah'ed at the Poke'mon eggs. He suppressed a chuckle and looked back at Carletta's egg again.

Violet stretched her arm up as far as she could, her stomach pressed against the counter in front of her, her sneakers pushed upwards as she stood on the tips of her toes, and her hand reaching for the top shelf inside an open, mahogany cabinet. Drew put down a box of Poke'mon food, the sound of the kibbles making the Poke'mon skittering around his feet stir and nudge him pleadingly, and looked at the other Coordinator out of the corner of his eye.

"Need some help?" he asked in a monotone voice, although he was holding back a smirk.

"Please..." he heard her murmur in a high voice. Setting two large bowls filled with Poke'mon food down on the ground (away from his feet, otherwise he would have some angry Furret and Linoone with sore tails), he brushed her aside from the cabinet, his fingers brushing her side as he did, and quickly reached up (having to stand on his toes for a second) and grabbed the box of Poke'mon food before handing it to her.

"Thanks," she said with a giggle and poured two more large bowls in front of her full. "I hate being short," she added over the sounds of rushing kibble.

"It's not lack of height," he smirked. "It's a lack of competence." With that, he flicked some of her bangs from her face. Her amethyst-colored irises went cross-eyed and he held back a laugh.

Cries of Poke'mon at their feet made Violet put the food on the ground where the bowls were quickly surrounded by a flurry of brown, pink, and cream-colored fur. Happy munching noises and pleased murmurs from Poke'mon could be heard all around them.

"Just the rock types left, right?" Violet asked with a her usual, easy-going smile.

"That and the maternity room," her boyfriend corrected. "Can you feed them?" he suggested, remembering a certain Rhydon as a wave of displeasure swept over him. Violet must have realized what he was thinking about because she bit her bottom lip while she held back laughter.

"Sure," she chuckled. "Little Drew-bey's afraid of the big, bad Rhydon!" Her mocking tone echoed in his ears as she bounced past him and out the door. He watched her go, both annoyance and amusement flashing in his green eyes, before exiting the room himself.

He made his way down the hall to the maternity room. Upon entering, he hung a sharp left and almost ran into a counter-top and a few cabinet's over it. He flung them open, revealing boxes, cans, bags, and plastic containers of different sorts of food. There was kibble and canned meat for the mammalian-like Poke'mon - different kinds for different types, of course. Unique-looking vegetables were chopped up and stored in the containers for vegetarian Poke'mon. Then there was the unique food in the back for the obscure type of Poke'mon. Drew was glad he wouldn't have to worry about those when he looked over his shoulder and noticed that it was mostly mammalian-like Poke'mon in the room. There was one Gloom with an Oddish but they were both asleep. He counted a Houndoom, a pair of Pikachu with their offspring, a Flaffy with an Ampharos and a Mareep, and a Lombre with a Lotad. He quickly fixed four bowls of the kibble and masterfully carried them - two in each hand. He brought the first down to the Houndoom (who he assumed was female due to the curl in her horns) who was curled up alone - without a mate or a baby. He set a bowl down next to her soft bed and gave her a sympathetic smile before taking a couple steps and putting down another bowl in front of the Pikachu mates. The mother had her body curled around a small Pichu that had its head hid behind large ears. The father flicked its ear at the grassy-haired boy and beamed, bounding over to food bowl. Drew dropped the bowls of food off in front of the other electric type Poke'mon. The female Flaffy was nuzzling her child, a Mareep, while the apparent father, Ampharos, seemed to be rather bored. The Lombre was a single female that preoccupied herself with adjusting her the lily-pad atop her baby's head, hardly noticing the food in front of her. Looking towards the back of the room, he noticed a pair of heads covered in sleek, creamy fur. He grinned and prepared another bowl before bringing it to the back and setting it down in front of the two Ninetales. Kneeling down to their level, he noticed Carletta curled up tightly, her tails pulled around her, and her elegant muzzle beneath two dainty paws. Charles, who was curled around his mate, blinked at Drew with sad eyes and licked the female fox's ear. A frown spread across the boy's lips.

"Aren't you going to eat?" he said softly, running his hand over the tuft of soft, billowing fur on Carletta's head. At the sound of his voice, the female Ninetales removed its nose from its hiding spot under her paws and rose her head an inch off the comfort of her bed. Drew picked up a pellet of the food and held it in front of her. She sniffed it once before turning her head away and hiding it in the chest fur of her mate. The male Coordinator sighed and dropped the pellet back in the bowl, wiping his hand on his lean leg as he stood up.

Suddenly, he felt the sharpness of a chin on his shoulder and the a body against his back. At first his heart seemed to make mad dash for an exit through his chest out of surprise, but then he noticed the familiar touch of Violet (and noticed her vivid hair out of the corner of his eye).

"What's wrong with her?" his girlfriend asked in a gloomy tone. For a moment Drew wondered how she had snuck in here without knowing, but pushed the thought away as she rested her hands (along with her head) on his shoulders.

"She doesn't want to eat," he replied, looking down at the Ninetales. "She seems depressed."

"Poor thing..." she cooed.

"Dark Thorn!" wailed the female Coordinator as she lunged forward, her arms spread wide.

_"Rwarf!" _barked the Mightyena and leapt away just in time, only to turn around and see its owner on the ground helpless - having missed her target. Meanwhile, Drew, who was a ways away from the action, was sitting down in the grass laughing loudly at his girlfriend's misfortune. He wished he had seen Violet groom her Poke'mon earlier because it was truly a sight to see. Rather, the capture of her Mightyena so it could be groomed was a site to see.

"Why does it hate being brushed?" Drew called out, running a hand through his hair.

"Don't know!" she gasped out as she jumped to her feet again and made another dash for her Poke'mon. After this charade had gone on for about 15 minutes, Dark Thorn was finally captured and was sitting down, well-behaved, between the two Coordinators. Granite, one Coordinator's hair was all in disarray and she was misted with a bit of sweat. The whole prospect amused Drew and he didn't mind showing it, but decided to keep his comments to a minimum. Instead of talking, he patted the Mightyena's gray muzzle while Violet ran a brush through its fur. Drew noticed a soft rumbling come from the back of Dark Thorn's throat and peeked over at Violet, then rose an eyebrow when he noticed the brush move _up _the hyena Poke'mon's spine.

"Well no wonder it doesn't like being brushed!" he scoffed, making Violet stop and blink up at him repeatedly. Drew scooted over so he could sit next to the mauve-haired girl and was on Dark Thorn's flank. "You're brushing the wrong way." He gripped the brush handle before Violet had time to let go and sandwiched her hand between his and the handle.

"B-but that's the only way to get the knots out," Violet contradicted softly. The stutter in her voice made him take a sideways glance at her, noticing the slight graze of pink across her cheeks.

"Then you put the brush down and get the knots out by hand," he replied and moved the brush away from Dark Thorn's pelt, letting go. He couldn't stop a small smirk from forming on his lips at the girl sitting next to him, but he looked away and petted the dark type Poke'mon instead, undoing some of the knots that matted its black back fur. The Mightyena folded its ears back and seemed to grin, showings its large, white teeth, and made a deep sound in its throat like chuckling. That's when Drew felt a sharp prod against his back. He winced and turned around to see White Fang pulling its horn back from between his shoulder blades. Its head was down slightly, so its forehead fur shadowed its eyes that were starring Drew down with a menacing, blood-red glare. Almost at once, the grass-haired boy met the Absol's gaze with a glower of his own.

"What's your problem?" he barked. He listened as a surprised sound came from Violet's lips and she turned to look at the pair. White Fang stayed silent for a moment, as if it didn't know quite how to answer, but then showed its small, sharp teeth and growled softly.

_"Saul," _it almost shouted, shaking its head in frustration, and bolted off through the field.

"White Fang!" Violet called out frantically, jumping to her feet as worry flashed through her amethyst eyes.

"Don't worry," Drew muttered quickly, snatching White Fang's poke'ball from the mauve-haired girl's waist. "I'll bring it back," he said and took off in the same direction the Absol had. With a sigh and a frown, Violet hugged her arms and looked down at Dark Thorn. Its ears flattened and it gave her a sympathetic grumble as the pair watched Drew run off.

The green-haired Coordinator chased White Fang to the end of the field, the edge of the daycare property, but with a single, powerful leap it was able to bound over the fence. Drew bared his teeth in annoyance. By the time he reached the fence himself, he gripped the top with his free hand and poll-vaulted his self over, never missing a step.

"Quit running!" he shouted as he glanced up to see the disaster Poke'mon still galloping away. But at his words, White Fang pivoted so quick Drew would've missed it if he blinked.

_"Saul!" _it cried as a blue aura surrounded its horn and it tossed its head. Drew's eyes went wide as a wave was conjured up behind the Absol and then surged forward. The boy tossed his hands up just in time as the water collided with him. It was freezing cold and more powerful than he had expected. The water pressure pushed him backwards a few feet and left him soaked when it dissipated into nothing. Hair dripping in front of his eyes, he glared at the Absol.

"Retur-" He was cut off as White Fang leapt through the disappearing water, its tail glowing white, and spiraled forward, slamming its tail into Drew's hand. He growled at the stinging, powerful slap, and the poke'ball flew out of his hand. Gripping his palm, he took a step backwards. Had this Absol finally lost it?

_"Ab-saul!" _the white-pelted Poke'mon exclaimed, showing its fangs. The green-haired boy blinked in surprise at first but then assumed his glare.

"What do you mean 'leave her alone'? We're traveling together!" he scoffed, glaring through sopping bangs. The Absol gave him a cynical glare, virtually translating as "You know what I mean." Drew rolled his green eyes and shook his head.

"Look! You need to learn to share her. Stop being so selfish!" he criticized, stepping forward toward the Poke'mon. White Fang's scarlet gaze narrowed and something like a hiss came from its mouth.

_"Saul! Ab-saul!" _it bit back. The male Coordinator felt his fist clench up in anger.

"How am I being selfish?" he demanded, stepping up so he was directly in front of White Fang and the two could share a proper stare-off. Pure hatred burned in red and green eyes and while Drew held back his shaking fists, he noticed the bristling in the Absol's snow-white coat. After a long, silent starring contest, White Fang huffed and looked away.

_"Ab-saul. Ab," _it began in a soft tone, its head down. _"Ab-saul." _Drew bit his bottom lip, wishing looks could kill. He was not always selfish...

_"Saul. Ab-saul." _With that, White Fang pushed past the boy, using its horn like a broom to sweep Drew aside, and started to walk back towards the daycare center. It stopped for a moment to pick its poke'ball up in its mouth, then started a sprint back to its owner. Drew watched it go, standing behind with wet clothes and hair, a blazing glare, and a sour attitude as White Fang's words echoed in his head.

_**"Saul. Ab-saul."**_

_"I won't forget how you hurt her..."_

Drew cursed a certain Absol under his breath as he polished the small, aqua-colored egg on the table in front of him.

"I don't need that stupid Absol to keep reminding me..." he grumbled, running the cloth over the top of the egg.

"What was that, Drew?" chirped Violet, looking over from her work of polishing a pearly pink egg. The grass-haired boy blinked a couple times to bring himself out of this thoughts.

"Nothing," he murmured in a monotone and looked down, pretending to be interested with his work. Sitting still made him uneasy all of a sudden and he stood up, carefully taking the blue egg in his hands, and brought he brought it back to its shelf, putting it back in place. He could feel a pair of amethyst eyes on the back of his head and was sure they were radiating worry. At least, part of him hoped they were. He heard her footsteps as she brought the egg she had been cleaning over and propped it up on the shelf next to the blue egg in its slot.

"Look at this one!" Violet cooed, pointing to a black egg with a few oddly-shaped splotches of flame-orange dotting it. "It's pretty!" she exclaimed, picking it up and carrying it back to the table to polish it. A smile tugged on the corners of his lips as he watched her, some of his hostility forgotten. The next egg he came to was a familiar swirl-patterned, cinnamon-colored one. He picked up the Vulpix egg carefully in his arms and took it back to the table. Sitting down, he began to clean the egg accordingly and making sure the shell shined.

"Is that Carletta's egg?" Violet squeaked, looking over at the egg. Drew nodded quietly as he polished but upon hearing the Ninetale's name, thoughts of her flooded his mind. He wondered if she was still depressed or if she had eaten. His green gaze fell down on the egg and a curious thought occurred to him.

The grass-topped boy lay completely still, his eyes closed in the appearance of sleep. Violet was tucked into something of a ball, cuddled up to his side and her head on one of his arms. He lay there for what seemed like forever, the only sounds those of the girl's breathing, his own, and a gentle wind tapping on the window. He pretended to lay there asleep, listening and feeling Violet's steady rise and fall of her body as she faded into sleep. When her breath had slowed to the familiar beat of rest, his eyes flicked open. Glancing down at her, he confirmed that her eyes were close. Even in sleep, she had a wide smile on her face. Carefully, he sat up. He didn't have to push off any covers because it was too hot to sleep under them. A wince of frustration came onto his face as he felt his arm being tugged; Violet still lay on top of it. He sighed silently and quietly pulled his arm out from underneath her head as he got off the bed, grateful that she was such a heavy sleeper. The mauve-haired girl never even stirred in the slightest. He looked around for his gray sweater, but his eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness yet and it was still hot. Forgetting about it, Drew stepped out into the hallway in just his blue jeans.

He tiptoed down the wooden hallway and to a certain door. His fingers wrapped around the knob and he turned, opening the door with a creak. He grimaced at the sound and flung the door open quickly to cut off the squeak. It was pitch-black in the room but he quickly found the light switch next to the door and flipped it up. The sudden rush of light slapped his eyes and he cringed them shut. After a few moments he slowly opened them and looked around for a familiar oval-shaped object. He made his way to the first row of shelves and to a warm-colored egg. Picking it up in his arms, he made his way out the room, turning off the light and shutting the door as he did.

He made his way down the hallway to another door, this time knowing he'd have to be quieter. This door didn't creak and he opened it slowly, the sounds of sleeping Poke'mon buzzing in his ears. His footsteps were impressively silent as he entered the room and found his way to the back. Since his eyes had adjusted and because her pelt was so bright, Drew was able to make out the form of Carletta as she lay curled up in her soft bed, her nine tails fluffed up and laying across her lean back or around her back legs. The bowl of food lay uneaten next to her. He kneeled next to her, holding the egg tightly.

"Carletta," he whispered softly, running a hand over the top of her soft head.

_"Nigh?" _it murmured softly as its mahogany eyes blinked open and its raised its head groggily.

"I brought you something," Drew smiled in the darkness and lay the cinnamon-colored egg next to the Ninetales' warm belly. He heard her let out a mewl of happiness as nuzzled the shell, curling her body around it. Carletta looked up at the green-haired Coordinator, her eyes shining in the dark.

_"Nine," _she sighed happily and leaned out, rasping her tongue over Drew's cheek. The boy held back a chuckle and wiped the fox's "kiss" off with the back of his hand. Carletta flicked an amused ear, but then pricked them forward and lowered her head.

_"Nine...tales. Nigh," _she said softly, raising her tails just slightly as she spoke. Drew's eyes widened a little.

"Really, Carletta?" he asked. "But wouldn't your owner - "

_"Nine," _the fox Poke'mon cut him off curtly. The emerald-eyed boy looked at her in surprise, insure of what to say. _"Nine..tales..." _she added, her voice softer as she nuzzled her egg again and flashed him a serious look. Drew took a deep breath and nodded, running his hand over her head.

"I promise."

"Drew. Drew, wake up!" came the peppy voice of Violet. Drew could distantly hear her calling and he felt a wet sensation rubbing against his cheek. He blinked away to see a cream-colored snout nosing his face. He threw his head back in surprise, gripping cream fur that had been beneath his head, and jumped back away from Carletta. Violet erupted into a fit of giggles and the female Ninetales gave a foxy chortle as Charles, the male Ninetales nosed and sniffed Drew. Shaking himself awake, the boy pushed Charles' wet nose away and sat up. He had leaned against the soft fur of Carletta and fell asleep in the maternity room. The female Ninetales' eyes were bright and her ears erect. He noticed that most of the food in the bowl next to her was gone. The egg still sat against her slightly enlarged stomach. Carletta brushed him lightly with her mass of tails, amusement in her eyes while Charles just flicked an ear and seemed to shrug, sitting down next to his mate.

"Why'd you sleep in here, Drew-bey?" giggled his girlfriend. She sat on her knees in front of Carletta, petting the Ninetales.

"I figured out that Carletta must've been missing her egg so I brought it to her," he explained, rubbing his eyes a little. "I must've fell asleep." Violet laughed and jumped up to her feet, holding out a hand to him. He took it and was helped up.

"Brought you this," she said, holding out his gray sweater. A tired but pleased look came on Drew's face as he took it and threw it on over his head.

"Thanks," he replied, pushing his arms through and pulling it down.

"Breakfast is ready. Come on," she explained, bouncing out of the maternity room. Drew followed her out and down the hallway to the front of the log cabin where the daycare lady was standing over a steaming bowl, stirring it slowly.

"Morning, dearies," she said with her unusually large grin. Drew tried to flash a smile but was sure it was pretty awkward and just sat down at the table where a bowl of cinnamon-smelling porridge and a piece of toast already sat in front of him. Violet also sat in front of a similar set up.

"I haven't had oatmeal since back in Lavender town when Grandpa made it," Violet explained, taking a spoonful of it into her mouth. Drew notice her cringe, clench her eyes shut, and then gasp after gulping. "Hot!" she squealed, sticking her tongue out of her mouth. The green-haired boy chuckled and pushed her glass of Moomoo milk towards her of which she took a large gulp.

"Oatmeal tends to be hot," he said cynically, a smirk on his lips. She put the glass down, a layer of white on her top lip.

"Don't laugh at me," she pouted but he took one look at her white lip and had no trouble laughing anyway. Violet blinked and blushed a little, wiping her mouth.

As the daycare lady sat down across from him with her own bowl, Drew looked up.

"I think Violet and I are going to be going today, but thank you for letting us stay here," he said politely and quickly took a bite of toast so he wouldn't be forced to speak for a few moments. At first the old lady seemed a bit disappointed, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Well, it's been a pleasure having you here!" she beamed.

"Wait! We're leaving?" whined Violet, her bottom lip protruding.

"Sorry, Violet, but the Verdanturf Contest starts is in a few days," he explained. The mauve-haired girl sighed and starred down at her porridge. Drew's gaze shifted from his girlfriend to the daycare lady. "I also would like to ask if I could have Carletta's egg," he added. The elderly lady blinked a couple times as if surprised and put down her mug of coffee.

"It's normally protocol that a the mother's owner gets the e-"

"Carletta told me she wanted me to have it," Drew cut her off curtly. The daycare lady blinked again and looked across the table at the boy. For a while she said nothing, but Drew wouldn't break his eye contact. However, out of the corner of his eye he noticed Violet looking back and forth between him and the daycare lady, waiting to see what was going to happen.

"Very well," the old lady finally said and looked down at her oatmeal. This time, Drew blinked in surprise. Had it really been that easy? "We can get it ready after breakfast." The male Coordinator looked over at his girlfriend, who was starring at him in disbelief, and smiled before taking a bite of oatmeal.

After breakfast had been finished, Drew and Violet followed the daycare lady into the egg room. The pair watched as the old lady ventured to the back of the room to a large cabinet, opened it, and pulled out a plastic carrying case. A poke'ball sat on top of the lid and a cushion was inside the transparent case. Drew noticed that the elderly lady was looking up and down the isle for a certain egg. He laughed nervously under his breath.

"I'll go get it," he offered and took the case from her. She rose an eyebrow, giving him a strange look as he slipped out of the room. Drew heard whining coming from his girlfriend as he left.

"I want a Poke'mon egg too!"

Drew made his way into the maternity room and through a stream of other Poke'mon that he hardly paid attention too. In the back, he kneeled down next to a happy Ninetales with her body curled around her egg.

"The daycare lady said I could have your egg," he told her, petting her head. "Violet and I are about to leave...so.." He let his voice trail off as he noticed specks of sadness in the fox Poke'mon's eyes. She licked the egg's shell and nuzzled her head against it before nudging it away from her body towards Drew. The green-haired boy gave her a smile and picked the egg up, placing it securely in its case and sealing the lid. "I promise I'll take good care of it for you."

_"Nine," _Carletta barked softly, seeming to smile back at him.

Drew left the maternity room, waving goodbye to Carletta for the final time, and made his way to the front of the cabin where he met Violet and the daycare lady by the door. His girlfriend and a case similar to his in her arms, the black and orange-red egg from yesterday tucked safely inside it. With her charm, it was no surprise that Violet had got her way.

"Thank you so much for everything!" she exclaimed, holding on tightly to her case as she looked at the daycare lady.

"Your welcome, dearie. You two take good care of those eggs now!" the gray-haired woman said, patting Violet on her shoulder.

"We will," Drew said quickly, stepping outside. Once out the door he gave a loud whistle and listened as a rustling sound came from behind him. He looked around behind the house as White Fang, Ghost Ring, Dark Thorn, and Vaporeon bounded over the fence. Overhead, Masquerain zipped forward on its little wings and Flygon zipped past with Roselia and Onyx Ice on its back. Drew didn't know why the daycare lady bothered to put up a fence - it was completely useless. The group of Poke'mon came up next to their owners with overall pleased looks on their faces except for Onyx Ice who was never pleased and White Fang who still kept its blood-chilling stare on the grassy-haired boy. Drew starred back unafraid and mentally shoved the Absol aside with his eyes.

"Time to hit the road you guys!" Violet announced and her Poke'mon faded into white lights that disappeared into the poke'balls at her waist. Drew's Poke'mon followed suit as they flashed inside their poke'balls attached to his belt.

"I've never seen Poke'mon get back in their poke'balls like that!" the daycare lady grinned. "You two are quite the Poke'mon Trainers!" Drew didn't bother to correct her and say that they were Poke'mon Coordinators and instead just nodded politely.

"We'll be going now. Thanks again," he said and turned, his bag on his shoulders and his egg case in his arms, ready to walk.

"Bye!" Violet said happily and came up to Drew's side, flashing her happy features at him. Staying here had been more enjoyable than he had expected, Drew would admit that, but he was more than anxious to get back to traveling and even more anxious to get to Verdanturf and win his fifth ribbon. His gaze shifted from her to the path ahead of him and the small town not far in the distance as the pair started off down the road.


	24. Chapter 24

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 24: _Tunneling Techniques_

The pair of Coordinators arrived in Verdanturf town by the time the sun was at its highest point in the sky, the gentle breeze ruffling their hair and carrying the faintest smell of some Poke'mon's sweet scent.

"Wow!" breathed Violet, inhaling deeply. "It does smell nice here!" Drew held back a grin, rolling his eyes as Violet took in long whiffs of the air like a baby Growlithe.

"Don't drop your egg," he reminded her as his green gaze shifted to glance out over the town. It was small, to say the least, with only about 20 log-cabin style buildings and one taller, red building in the center. The male Coordinator recognized it immediately as the Contest Hall and found it sad that it was the tallest building in town. Tightening his hold on the egg case in his arms, he set out towards the Poke'mon Center.

Upon arriving, the two made a rather disturbing realization. No one was there! Normally, there were crowds of Poke'mon Trainers and Coordinators swarming Centers, both inside and out, but this one was totally deserted. With a strange feeling looming over his head, Drew walked up to the front desk with Violet at his heels. The back of a tall chair faced him.

"Hello?" he asked slowly, a bit surprised when the chair swiveled around to reveal a young, dark cherry-haired woman with dull eyes and black clothing. He tilted his head to the side slightly as she blew a medium-sized bubble with purple gum, resting her chin on her hand, elbow propped up on the desk, and twirling one of her pigtails boredly with her free hand.

"What?" she asked in a monotone, the bubble making a loud 'pop' sound as it broke.

"Where's Nurse Joy?" asked, looking over her egg case and the counter at the female.

"Mom's down at the tunnel," the pink-haired woman replied. "If you want her to take care of your Poke'mon, you'll have to wait for her to come back."

"Mom?" both Coordinators repeated in unison, blinking a couple of times.

"Nurse Joy is your mom?" Violet gasped.

"Yeah," the young woman replied. "Name's Hope," she went on in her depressed voice.

_'Can't imagine why,' _Drew thought to himself, raising an eyebrow at Hope. "Well, can you get us a room?" he asked. Hope blew a bubble with her gum and let it pop before answering.

"Whatever," she mumbled and typed a few things on a computer before handing them a card. Taking it, the green-haired boy gave her a strange look then preceded down the hallway.

Back in their room, Violet sat her egg case down next to Drew's as the green-haired boy tossed his bag onto the bed and began rummaging through it. Going about her usual routine whenever they reached a new center, the mauve-haired female plopped down on the end of the bed and flicked the television on. The screen flashed awake to a news channel where an anchorwoman dressed in dull colors went on about a rockfall, images of a small cave appearing behind her.

"That must be the tunnel that Hope was talking about," Violet exclaimed. Drew, who had being paying little attention to the television screen, glanced up.

"Yeah, that's Rusturf Tunnel," he said lamely and went back to looking for whatever it was inside his knapsack, pulling out his Poke'Nav moments later.

"You can't be planning where to go next already!" Violet giggled, looking at him over her shoulder. He cast her a cynical look and stuffed the little device into his pocket without looking at it.

"Are you going to come with me? Roselia and I are going to get in some practice before the contest tomorrow." With a grin, Violet flicked off the T.V. and got up to follow him. As the pair exited the center, Drew noticed that the lobby was still virtually empty. Hope still hid behind the front counter like a ghost and a couple trainers sat on the sofas with their Poke'mon sprawled across their laps; however, judging by the well-groomed pelts of their Poke'mon, some of them could've possibly been Coordinators. 'Lazy,' Drew scoffed to himself as they left.

The entire town was very rural, leaving plenty of open, flat land in between buildings so they wouldn't even need to go to the outskirts of town to practice. Drew quickly found a large back alleyway. Satisfied with his training grounds, he plucked a poke'ball from his belt and tossed it gently into the air. The bright flash of light signaled the arrival of his rose-bearing Poke'mon.

_"Rrroosssrr," _it hummed, waving its roses with a wink. Violet giggled at it as she slid down to the ground, leaning her back against the side of a building.

Drew growled in frustration as the dark orb rushed through the flurry of pink petals, sending them into a not-so-graceful flutter. Roselia flashed its owner an apologetic sigh as he placed two fingers to his temple.

"It's alright, Roselia," he murmured with a sigh. "Try again. Use petal dance."

_"Rossr!" _it whistled and twirled, sending out a bustling array of rose petals in every direction. Drew looked up at the flower pieces and clenched his fists hopefully.

"Okay, shadow ball!" he ordered and his Roselia aimed its red rose in the air at a clump of petals. Dark energy gathered upon the center of the rose, growing into a large sphere, before blasting forward, only to rush at the petals and make them drift to the ground like feathers. The green-haired Coordinator glared at the fallen petals and sighed again.

"Drew-bey, I know you're not going to like this..." Violet began but was cut off by yawning widely. Drew cast her a slightly annoyed look, a hand on his hip as he waited for her to finish. "...but whatever you're doing isn't working." The boy felt his eye twitch and he bit his lip to hold back a retort. Instead, he turned back to his grass-type.

"Just try it again..." he breathed loudly.

_"Roossrrr..." _nodded the Roselia and summoned a blizzard of flower petals. Once again, it charged up a black sphere before shooting it. Out of the corner of his eye, Drew noticed his girlfriend's line of sight and how it was directly focused on the roses of his Poke'mon. Her violet gaze held an unbreakable stare and paid impeccable attention to the movements of the Roselia as it twirled and swung and shot. It once again fired the shadow ball at the flower parts, only to toss them aside lifelessly again. This time Drew growled between his teeth, stomping the ground slightly.

_"Rrroossrr," _Roselia cooed, nudging her Coordinator's leg gently. The green-eyed boy flinched at the thorns but flashed his Poke'mon a smile anyway.

"You're trying to get the flower petals to swirl around the shadow ball, right?" Violet asked suddenly, blinking her large eyes at him. Drew blinked a couple of times, surprised that she had figured out his plan and nodded emotionlessly.

"Why?" he shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"Try having Roselia charge the shadow ball while its still, but twirl as it fires it," the female Coordinator suggested. The boy gave her a confused look but was distracted by a tugging on his jeans. He looked down to see Roselia tilting its thorny head, batting its short lashes as if to ask if it should do it or not.

"Try it," he said with a shrug. Roselia gave a brisk nod and flung itself in a circle, sending up another storm of blossoms. Aiming upwards, dark energy began forming above its roses. When the mass had become a large, dark sphere, Roselia gave a twirl as it shot the orb upwards through the petals. The twirl had set a spin on the shadow ball the way throwing a bowling ball a certain way made the ball curve. The spinning action made the shadow ball zoom right through the petals high into the air without shredding them, and the movement caused the petals to whisked into a spinning pattern of their own, creating something of a large pillar of pink flower petals floating upwards with a brimming orb of dark energy floating above it.

Drew almost stumbled backwards in surprise, but couldn't help but to stare up at the structure in awe before the shadow ball fading into thin air and the petals drifted to the ground.

_"Rroossrr!" _Roselia cried happily, causing Violet to giggle. The sound snapped Drew back into reality and he watched as his grass-type Poke'mon bounded over to his girlfriend. The mauve-haired female stroked it beneath its chin since she dare not touch its spiked head. The boy starred at them for a moment before pulling a poke'ball from his belt.

"That was great, Roselia..." he said in a quiet voice. The rose-bearing dancer turned back just in time to see the stream of red light touch it as it was pulled back into its capsule. "Thanks," the green-haired Coordinator mumbled under his breath as he hooked the poke'ball back onto his belt, looking down and away from Violet. She didn't seem to notice and beamed widely.

"You're welcome."

"Let's get back to the center," he said quickly as he walked past her, shoving his hands into his pockets. Thoughts rushed into his head of Lavender Town's contest. He remembered how Shadow and Onyx Ice had blown him and Flygon away and how powerful a team he and Shadow had made at the Doubles' Contest in Lilycove City. All at once, the realization of how good a Coordinator Violet was came back to him in a flash.

He mulled over these thoughts as the automatic doors parted and he walked back into the center, hardly noticing when Violet skipped in beside him. Out of habit, not interest, he glanced up and noticed that there was still hardly anyone inside the center. Hope still said behind the front desk, popping her gum and looking down boredly at a magazine. This could only mean that Nurse Joy wasn't back yet because she was still down at that stupid tunnel and wouldn't be around to take care of his tired Poke'mon. Drew clenched his fists tight and gritted his teeth as his agitation threshold broke and he turned on his heel, storming out of the Poke'mon Center. Blinking in confusion, Violet dashed after him.

"What are yo-"

"Going down there to fix that stupid tunnel myself!" Drew cut her off, knowing what she was going to ask without even bothering to look at her, and continued his rampage towards the edge of town.

It didn't take long to get there since Verdanturf was so small. Even from the other side of town, one could see the cliff side that rose up to border the western side of the town, appearing as if a great Poke'mon had scooped the town right out of a rock with a massive paw. At the base of the cliff was apparently a small opening that led to darkness. Throngs of people were gathered around it, hardly allowing a line of sight towards the tunnel entrance. Reaching the back of the crowd, Drew shrugged his way through, not caring that he had to gently shove some people out of the way as he did, until he came to the front of the commotion. Violet had managed to scramble up to his side, although she looked somewhat more disheveled and squished than her boyfriend did.

"What's going on here?" Drew demanded, folding his arms as he looked at the man, who couldn't have barely been 18, who stood in front of the tunnel entrance, wearing a hard hat, a nasty uniform, and carrying a shovel.

"There's been a rockslide inside the tunnel," he explained and the male Coordinator refrained from rolling his eyes. That was evident. "So the passage from here to Rustburo City is all blocked up, but we can't clear the fall because there's this large group of Whismur in the way." This time, Drew did roll his eyes. How pathetic.

"Then use Poke'mon to get them out of the way!" he growled as if it was the most simple thing in the world, reaching for a poke'ball at his waist. He almost grabbed Roselia, but then remembered that it would be tired from training, and tossed another one instead and after the white light had cleared, Flygon whinnied loudly and flapped its strong wings.

"I'll help!" Violet beamed, reaching for a poke'ball. "Go, On-" At once, Drew's eyes widened a little and he pivoted quickly around, clasping his hand over his girlfriend's mouth. He felt the gaze of the worker on the back of his head as the man gave him weird looks and he watched as Violet's cheeks became laced with a light coat of pink. He gave her a meaningful stare before slowly pulling his hand away. She blinked at him mindlessly before her eyes lit up. "Oh... um...come on out, Sneasel," she murmured, tossing her poke'ball to reveal the sharp-edged ice Poke'mon.

_"Sneasl, sneaz?" _Onyx Ice murmured, looking back over its shoulder at its owner and raising an eyebrow in confusion.

_"Rrriieegh," _Flygon explained as it easily shouldered past the worker blocking the entrance and lumbered into the cave.

"We'll be back," Drew said passively, walking after his Poke'mon. Onyx Ice followed bravely, dashing into the darkness as soon as the boy had been engulfed in its depths. With a tiny gulp, Violet slowly entered. It seemed like forever that she walked in darkness, clenching her clasped hands to her chest. Her eyes were screwed shut and her bottom lip trembled slightly.

"You can open your eyes now," she heard Drew mutter. She did without question and was welcomed with a soft, glowing light ebbing from lanterns that the workers had placed at different intervals along the tunnel, illuminating the cave just enough to see. "Be more careful about shouting out your Poke'mon's names in public," the mint-haired teen scolded, turning to face his girlfriend. Immediately, she looked down and pretended to interested in her shoes. "Those names are a dead give away that you're Shadow so be careful," he went on. This time he turned and preceded down the tunnel way. Violet's gaze lifted and she glanced at the back of his head, this green hair catching the light from the lanterns making it look like frost on a spring leaf.

"Why do you protect my secret?" she asked suddenly. The question made Drew's feet stop instantly.

'Because it's beneficial,' he answered in his mind. It was true; if the world knew who she was, some Coordinators like Harley would try to take advantage of that, and others would be constantly asking for her help. Upon that, others still would be fawning over her left and right, asking for autographs, pictures, and the like. The thought alone made Drew's head spin. Frankly, sometimes he liked attention, but he hated paparazzi. Besides, it had been him who was clever enough and fortunate enough to get her to travel with him so he could examine the way she did things - although, so far it wasn't helping much. Some selfish part of Drew wanted to make the claim that 'she was his', and yet another part of him wanted to scold him for thinking of such. His selfish half retaliated that she was. The green-eyed boy shook his head, putting a hand to his forehead as if to suppress the thoughts. That's when he realized that he still hadn't answered.

"Because I said I would," he said without looking at her and continued on through the dimly lit tunnel.

He heard Violet's and Onyx Ice's soft footsteps and Flygon's thundering footsteps stop as they reached what Drew hypothesized to be the middle of the tunnel. They came to a halt in front of a huge build-up of boulders that reached half way up the to the roof of the tunnel.

"This is gonna take forever..." Violet whined behind him, drooping slightly, but Drew paid no attention to her pouting, or much attention to the fallen rocks for that matter.

"Where's the Whismur that the worker was talking about?" he thought outloud, scanning the area for a glint of color that wasn't him, his girlfriend, or their Poke'mon.

"Look!" the mauve-haired girl squeaked, point up to the mid-section of the rockfall where a pink head poked out between a hole in the rocks' tower. Drew looked up to see the tiny head, curved ears tipped with beige protruding from on top of it. It squeaked as it bounced down from the rocks and bounced in front of their feet, tiny paws curled up against its body and its small, round feet shifting slightly as it swayed back and forth to some unheard rhythm.

"Chase it away, Flygon," the boy ordered and its dragon raised its claws up high, beating its wings furiously and lashing its tail back and forth.

_"Rreeeiiiggghh!" _it cried. The Whismur shrank to half its size and flattened its ears.

_"Whiiiissssssss...mur..." _it sobbed quietly, blinking its beady little eyes and its mouth quivering.

"You're scaring it!" Violet exclaimed, frowning as she latched onto Drew's arm. The green-haired boy rolled his eyes.

"That's the point," he retorted. "We need to get it out of the way before we can clear the rocks." At the cry of the Whismur, the pair almost felt the ground shake. "What the - " Drew muttered under his breath as he felt Violet clench him tighter and his eyes darted around in the darkness to see thousands of tiny, pink heads poking out from hiding places in the rock. They rolled down the rockfall and from other crevices in the tunnel to gather at their feet until they were completely surrounded by a sea of Whismur.

"Not...good..." Violet whimpered, hiding her face in the shoulder of Drew's lavender jacket. The boy gritted his teeth, glaring at the situation more so than the Whismur.

"Fire a dragonbreath into the air," he told its Flygon.

_"Rreeeiiggh!" _it called out and breathed electric-green fire up into the air, illuminating the cave brightly and giving off ebbs of heat and energy. Drew saw all the faces of the Whismur contort in fear, but as soon as the dragon halted its breath attack, rather than fleeing, every single one of them opened their wide mouths. The boy's green eyes went wide and he turned around to face Violet in a flash.

"Cover your ears!" he shouted, but did it for her anyway just as a series of thousands of high-pitched wails screeched throughout the cave. Instantly, Violet released her grasp on him and covered her ears tightly, matching the Whismur's cry with a frightened one of her own. Grimacing in pain, Drew had to let go of the mauve-haired girl next to him to clasp his hands over his own ears, but that did nothing to stop the onslaught of horrible sound clawing at what seemed like the inside of his head. The agonizing sound brought the pair to their knees as they huddled together, trying anyway they could to block out the sound. Out of the corner of his eye, the boy noticed the Poke'mon. Onyx Ice had its claws clamped tightly over its ears but was still twisting in anguish and Flygon, whose arms where to short to do much, had its wings folded around its head, its long neck letting it hide its head beneath its wings but its tail still lashed insanely, showing that its blockade did little to help. A rush of annoyance and frustration swept over him.

"Hyper beam!" he shouted as loud as he could over the wail of the Whismur, but his Flygon only continued to thrash and scream, seemingly not hearing him at all. That's when a certain Sneasel, berserk from the horrible sound, let out a wail of its own and blew a freezing, snowy wind from its mouth that swept over the clan of Whisper Poke'mon. The wails stopped as the Whismur were tossed aside by the powerful blizzard and Flygon, Drew, and Violet picked their heads up, blinking.

"Way to go, Onyx!" the mauve-haired girl beamed.

"Hyper beam!" Drew ordered again at once, wasting no time.

_"Rreeeiiiggghhh!" _the dragonfly-like Poke'mon screeched, furious from the onslaught of pain brought by the Whismur's sound, and fired the golden beam of energy straight into a cluster of the little, pink Poke'mon. The Whismur cried as a haze of smoke appeared and they were thrown around the cave like Poke'mon plush dolls. Almost immediately though, the uproar of thousands erupted throughout the tunnel again, once again forcing Drew and Violet to their knees in pain and rendering Flygon and the Sneasel immobile. The frequency and the pitch was more than his ears could stand, and he was sure his ear drums were about to burst.

"Ursaring, use roar!" came a command from behind them. The pair of Coordinators turned their head just in time to see a large bear Poke'mon thrust itself out of the darkness behind them into the lantern-light. It bounded forward and reared up on its hind legs, revealing the gold ring on its belly, and showing off its massive claws. It opened its muzzle, letting out a thundering roar, exposing long, sharp fangs. The painful uproar of the Whismur stopped at they retreated into little burrows hidden in crevices of the tunnel. Sighing with relief, Drew pushed himself to his feet before pulling Violet up as well, asking if she was alright under his breath. She nodded slowly, holding her head. That's when a figure walked out of the darkness from behind the bear Poke'mon. He stood just a little taller than Drew and had charcoal-colored hair that fell down just past his chin. He wore a red jacket that had black sleeves and dark blue jeans. A warm smile was plastered to his face as he walked over to them, hands in his pockets.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked good-naturedly. The green-haired boy absentmindedly nodded and looked away slightly. He was grateful and all, but slightly perturbed that he had to be "saved". Violet on the other hand, grinned.

"Yeah. Thanks for saving us," she exclaimed, her purple eyes bright despite the darkness of the cave.

"No problem. Whismur dislike sounds louder than them," the boy explained, but no sooner than he had gotten the words out of his mouth, a crumbling sound came from beneath them and the tunnel started to shake violently.

"Ahh! What's going on?" Violet shouted and clasped herself onto Drew's arm again. He steadied his feet, glaring at nothing in particular as the ground shook.

"It's probably a -" the newcomer was cut off as the top rocks from the fall tumbled to the ground and a large, lavender body thrust itself over them, landing in front of the teenagers with a loud 'thud'. Its massive body was mostly round with large ears that looked like radio speakers. It had huge hands with gorilla-like arms and an enormous, wide mouth rimmed with yellow lips.

"_LOOOOOOUUDREDD!" _it bellowed dominantly and the humans forced their hands over their ears. As the cry ended, Drew shot a stare at the Big Voice Poke'mon, assuming a battle stance.

"Flygon, d-"

"Don't worry, I got it. Ursaring, bulk up!" the other boy cut Drew off, grinning as he stood behind his Poke'mon. The Hibernator Poke'mon let out a proud roar, flexing its muscles as a crimson aura encased its body.

"_Loouuuudreeed!" _shouted the wild Loudred as it ducked its head down and sped forward towards the bear.

"Use hammer arm!"

"_Uuurrrsssaarrr!" _growled the Ursaring as one of its arms glowed a bright white. Just as the Loudred flew forward, directly in front of the bear, its powerful paw flew down on top of its head with amazing force. The impact sent the Big Voice Poke'mon flying backwards, slamming into the rocky ground.

"_Looudd!" _it blinked in surprise, rubbing its head.

"Slash attack!" the boy added with a grin and Ursaring flexed its claws before dashing forward, running on its hind legs, and with surprising speed slashed its iron claws down the front of the Loudred's face.

"_Lou..? Loudred! Loudred..! Loudred...! LOUDRED!" _the lavender Poke'mon bayed as it jumped to its feet, holding its face that bore three long gash marks across its face, and scrambled around the cave like an eccentric child throwing a fit before disappearing into a crevice in the back of the cave. Ursaring triumphantly flexed its claws and smiled gruffly back at its owner.

"Well done, Ursaring," the boy beamed, coming up to the bear's side to pet its massive flank. Drew looked to his side to notice Violet and surprisingly Onyx Ice looking at the boy and Ursaring, respectively, with awe in their eyes.

"That was amazing!" the mauve-haired girl squealed, clasping her hands together. "You're Ursaring is really powerful!"

"_Sneaz!" _Onyx Ice said curtly, flashing its wry smile and flexing its own little claws, looking up at the bear. It seemed to show it a gruff smile and responded with a rumbling sound as it kneeled to the ice Poke'mon's level.

"Thanks," the boy chuckled with a smile.

"What are we doing standing around like this?" Drew said suddenly, folding his arms as he glowered slightly at the dark-haired boy. "We need to get these rocks cleared," he pointed out.

"You're right," the taller teen replied and turned to his Ursaring. "Use metal claw." Violet beamed down at her Sneasel, showing a semi-gloved fist.

"And you use brick break!"

"_Sneaz!" _it cried as its claws glinted brightly. Ursaring's massive claws took on a silver sheen and the two Poke'mon rushed forward, barreling their claws into a pair of boulders, splitting them down the middle. Drew blinked at first but then came up to his Flygon's side and smirked up at the dragon.

"Think you can do that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The dragonfly-like Poke'mon's eyes glinted beneath the ruby orbs and it seemed to chuckle before it surged forward and snapped its tail around like a whip, bursting a boulder into tiny pieces.

It was hours later when the three teens, Poke'mon now inside their poke'balls, exited Rusturf Tunnel, met by the same crowd of people and an orange-glowing sun setting off in the distance, the clouds seeming to melt down into the horizon with it.

"Tunnel's all clear," the black-haired boy grinned, brushing his hands off against each other and folding his arms. He was responded to by an eruption of cheers and applause from the throng of people. The green-haired boy behind him rolled his eyes, but at least now the Poke'mon Center might be running properly. Suddenly, out of the mass of people, a cherry-headed woman in a familiar nurse outfit pushed her way to the front without caring that she was making quite a disturbance.

"Steven!" she cried, throwing her arms around the red jacket-clad boy so heartily that she almost knocked him back into the two Coordinators. "I'm so happy to see you!" she sighed happily.

"Nurse Joy...?" Violet asked slowly, tilting her head to the side.

"Hi, Mom..." the boy apparently known as 'Steven' laughed awkwardly as the nurse smothered him in her hug.

"Mom?" both Coordinators asked in unison, blinking in surprise.

"Wait a minute..." Drew said slowly, holding up a hand. "Is Hope your sister?"

"You know Hope?" Nurse Joy and Steven asked together, lifting a pink and black eyebrow, respectively.

"Oi .." the green-eyed boy sighed, running a hand through his grassy bangs as he heard the mauve-haired girl next to him let out a stifled giggle.

"Your poor Poke'mon must be exhausted," Nurse Joy said to the teenagers, her mouth contorting to look something like a rosebud as she sighed, her hand against her cheek. "Let's get back to the Poke'mon Center."

'About time,' Drew thought bitterly. His foul mood seemed to linger, and by the time they reached the center, it still had not lifted.

"What's wrong, Drew-bey?" Violet asked as she walked into their room behind him. The green-haired boy ignored his unwanted nickname as he sat down on the bed, pulling his egg case in his lap.

"Nothing," he growled, unscrewing the top of the case and gently pulling the egg from its safe confines. He lifted a cloth out from his knapsack that lay limply against the bed beside him and began polishing the top of the egg with it as if to distract himself.

"Don't lie to me!" the mauve-haired Coordinator said in a sing-song voice, sitting down next to her boyfriend. Drew rolled his eyes but glanced over at her.

"Just tired, okay?" he managed to say. It wasn't a total lie because he was tired, although that wasn't the source of his foul mood. Violet's lips curved into a frown and she leaned over, wrapping her arms around him and placing her head on his shoulder, careful not to make him drop the cinnamon-colored egg.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. Drew wasn't entirely sure what she was apologizing for. In fact, he was pretty sure even she didn't know what she was apologizing for. For being so good at Coordinating? For Steven showing up and having to save them? For his grouchy mood? All of it? He looked down at the egg in his arms, unable to meet her gaze.

"Thanks," he whispered without thinking as his eyes drifted up to the window of their temporary bedroom to see the sun disappearing behind the cliff side that framed Verdanturf Town, his eyes pinpointing the red roof of the Contest Hall where he would fight for his fifth ribbon tomorrow.


	25. Chapter 25

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 25: _The 5th Ribbon_

"Violet!" Drew called out loudly as he starred off into the dark abyss that loomed before him. It was so pitch-black that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, let alone where he put his foot down. "Violet!" he shouted again, not sure why he was calling out her name.

_"Sneasel, sneaz!" _came the familiar, harsh call as Onyx Ice faded into view from the darkness to stand in front of Drew. The boy gave it a confused look and took a step forward. Then, without warning, the ice Poke'mon let out a bellow, breathing out a flurry of snow and ice that hurled forward at him. The harshness made him throw his hands up, his hair and jacket tossed up by the freezing gale, and he had to steady his stance so the blizzard wouldn't toss him off his feet. The stinging cold made his skin burn wherever it touched and he gritted his teeth as a shiver of cold shot down his spine.

His emerald eyes shot up, revealing the far wall of his and Violet's room at the Poke'mon Center with moonlight trickling in from the window and dancing along the sheets. He took in a deep gulp of air as he sat up in bed and pressed his hand to his forehead before running it through his hair. Glancing to his left, he noticed the mauve-haired Coordinator lying asleep next to him, her back turned towards him and the window and the sheets barely hanging on her hips; it was still to hot to sleep with too much cover. Her body rose and fell softly as she slumbered, unaware of his troubles. Thoughts of today (probably yesterday, by now) flooded his memory and a sudden wave of guilt washed over him. His mood had been anything but welcoming yesterday and now he was regretting it. Despite her being his opponent in the upcoming festival, the boy found himself unable to stay angry at her for long regardless of whether or not the situation was her fault. Before he had realized it, his hands had reached over to touch his traveling partner's shoulder, but just as his finger tips barely brushed the skin of her shoulder he stopped himself, realizing his mouth was half way opening in the beginnings of saying her name. No, he would let her sleep. Turning and clambering out, he glanced out the window. The moon was high, still bathing the grass outside in a intangible blanket of silver, but he didn't care about the hour. Heading towards the door, he grabbed a poke'ball from his bag on the way out and carelessly throwing on his lavender jacket, never minding his sweater.

He managed to silently leave the room as well as the Poke'mon Center, having to sneak past a dozing Hope at the front desk. Once outside, a gentle gust of wind rushed at him, tossing up his hair and sending his jacket into a fray, carrying the faintest smell of sweet scent. Sighing and longing for the company, he released the red energy from his poke'ball and watched as it materialized into his trustworthy rose-bearing Poke'mon. It blinked its little black eyes up at him, nudging its bud-like face with the soft petals of its roses to wake itself up.

_"Roosrr?" _it hummed groggily.

"I know it's late Roselia, but I thought we should get in some practice before the contest today," he explained. The statement was fairly true, but his being up and about was mostly because he couldn't sleep.

_"Roossrr!" _grumbled the grass-type Poke'mon, putting its roses on its leafy hips and glaring up at its Coordinator. Drew felt an agitated flush creep onto his face as he folded his arms.

"C'mon, Roselia! Just - " The green-eyed boy cut himself off all a sudden as the distant sound of gushing water rushed towards his ears. Apparently Roselia heard it too because it cocked its head slightly to the side, giving its owner a curious look. "I don't know," Drew said to his Poke'mon. "Let's go find out."

The countryside grass was gentle beneath the bottom of his shoes as he ran among the buildings, glancing in between walls to search for the source of the sound. Getting closer to the far edge of town, near the tunnel, his ears picked up the noise getting louder. He made a final sharp turn between two small cottages and skidded to a stop, Roselia on his heels.

"Blastoise, use - " A ebony-haired boy standing next to a large massive, blue-scaled tortoise cut himself off, blinking as he noticed the green-haired boy standing just a few feet from him.

"Steven?" Drew said, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing out here?" Steven glanced at the Coordinator and then at his Roselia who was standing daintily by his side. The mahogany-eyed boy crossed his arms and straightened himself, his stance giving off an aura of slight arrogance, must like Drew's own, but the smile on his face friendly nonetheless.

"Probably the same thing you're doing," Steven replied. "Training for the contest." Drew blinked his green eyes in the darkness.

"You're a Coordinator?" he asked.

"Yep," the other boy grinned, giving his Blastoise a pat on its massive shoulder.

_"Blasssssssttt!" _it rumbled happily.

"It's why I left home in the first place - to go participate in contests. I came back when I heard there was a contest in my hometown," Steven went on. In a split second, Drew's processing speed doubled. Verdanturf was Steven's hometown? Of course, why hadn't he seen it before? It made sense since the Nurse Joy here was his mother. At first Drew felt on the worse side of stupid for having not that of that early, but he almost immediately convinced himself that it was the soft, country air destroying his brain cells... that or Violet... or this new kid... Wait! If Verdanturf was Steven's hometown, then he had probably dealt with rockfalls in the tunnel before. That's why he was so helpful in the tunnel yesterday! All at once, Drew didn't feel quite so inept and ever so slightly less... jealous? Ugh, he hated that word. It was only just now that he realized he hadn't been talking.

"Thanks for helping Violet and me out yesterday," he said so it at least appeared he was aware of the conscious world.

"Don't mention it," Steven replied. "I'm used to it." Ah, so he was right! "You participating in the Contest then? Good luck. I hope I'll get to battle you," he went on happily. Drew wasn't entirely sure if he shared Steven's eagerness; he had seen what his Ursaring did to that wild Loundred yesterday and he didn't want to picture how that would've played out if that had been his Roselia or Vaporeon... Not that he was scared or anything. Despite this, Drew plastered a smirk to his lips and ran a hand through his bangs.

"You better hope you don't battle me, because that'll be the end of the line for you!" he retorted. Steven let out a chuckle.

"If you say so. So, where's Vi?" he asked. Finally, something easy to talk about.

"Back at the room in the center," he replied. This is when he noticed one of Steven's black eyebrows raise.

"You two share a room?" he said questioningly. Drew blinked a couple times. It had become so normal, he never thought anything of sharing a room with Violet, but upon further thought he supposed it was a bit...unusual..suspicious..?

"Yeah, so?" he shot back with a shrug. Steven grinned and shook his head.

"Man! Mom would never let me share a room with my girl, ever! Not in a million years!" So he had a girlfriend? More of Drew's jealous slowly faded away. Maybe this kid wasn't so bad after all...

"That's parents for you, I guess.." the green-haired Coordinator said carelessly before motioning away. "Later." With that he started walking away from the boy and his Blastoise.

"See ya!" he heard Steven call behind his back as Drew turned a corner, back in the direction of the Poke'mon Center.

_"Rossr?" _Roselia muttered, nudging the leg of his jeans with its roses as they walked.

"I don't feel like practicing anymore, Roselia," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. He felt his Poke'mon give him a condescending stare and he couldn't help but laugh under his breath. It didn't matter. They wouldn't need to practice. It wasn't like there was going to be any real competition anyway.

"Violet, slow down," Drew insisted as he watched Violet stuff about a quarter of a waffle in her mouth, syrup trickling down her chin.

"Mhmmffm! Ibefmph-" the boy cut off the mauve-haired girl by tossing a napkin at her face. After a moment of rubbing and a loud gulp, she tried speaking again. "I can't! I have to hurry up so I can have time to everything else I want to do today!" Drew rose an eyebrow at her.

"And just what do you plan to do?" he asked, truly curious.

"I want to look around town, maybe play around a bit in Rusturf Tunnel, possibly get in some training, go shopping..." In Drew's mind, she was beginning to train off because he was ignoring her. He felt a slight twitch of anger and maybe even a rush of heat to his face.

"Sorry, but no," he said curtly, putting down the bite of his own waffle he was about to take. Violet looked up at him all a sudden, blinking her large, purple eyes at him.

"Wha..?" she mumbled in a distraught tone.

"You won't be doing any of those things today," he growled, folding his arms and watching as his girlfriend opened her mouth widely to protest but once again he cut her off.

"Because you're going to be watching me in the contest today," Drew added with a smirk. It was true that Violet had never truly watched him in a contest. In Lavender Town, they were both participating. In Saffron, she had been captured. In Lilycove, she was participating with him. And in Fortree, she was off doing her own thing. But not this time. He wasn't entirely sure why he was so intent on having Violet there for him this time, but he didn't feel like trying to explain it to himself. At once he saw the mauve-haired girl's face change at her eyes light up with laughter.

"You scared me!" she squealed. "I thought you were mad!" With that, she popped a piece of a Rawst berry in her mouth and Drew chuckled as he watched her face turn pink at how sweet it was.

After waiting for Violet to finish gorging, the pair made their way to the Contest Hall, the tall red building smack dab in the center of town. The sliding doors parted as the two walked into the hall. It was easily the best-decorated and classiest building in town, with a medium-sized chandelier hanging from the ceiling, banners decorating lamps that adorned the walls, and leather couches that bordered the bases of the walls where Coordinators and fans sat.

"Contest pass, please," requested the lady at the front counter as Drew and Violet approached. The green-haired boy absentmindedly handed her his card and waited with his arms crossed as she ran in through a machine. That's when the faint sound of quiet, hidden giggling drifted by his ears. Almost at the same time, he felt a nudging on the back of his arm. He turned to look at Violet over his shoulder, only to have her point off in another direction. Following her line of sight, his eyes fell on a girl in the corner of the lobby. She was distinctively shorter than him but had to have been at least 13 or so. She had dirty blonde hair that was flipped out at the ends and wore a pink t-shirt and a mini-skirt (which was slightly too short for Drew's taste, but who was he to judge?) It seemed she had spotted him because she looked up at him, large brown eyes blinking rapidly. An unmistakable blush appeared on her cheeks and she quickly looked down at her Mary Jane shoes which made click-clack sounds on the tiled floor as she slowly made her way over to them.

"H-hey... Mr. Drew..." she stuttered. Mr. Drew? He was, like, 16!

"Yeah?" he asked in almost a careless voice.

"Can I have your autograph, please?" she whimpered, holding out a small, pink book with her head bowed. A wide smirk spread itself on Drew's face and he swore he saw Violet's eyes roll. Wow, he wasn't sure he had ever seen the mauve-haired girl do that.

"Sure," he replied, taking the notebook from the younger girl. There was a pin in the spiral of it and he slipped it out, wondering if he had heard the girl squeak when he took it from her. He was sure he did. Quickly scribbling something down, he handed it back to her. By then, the receptionist had finished with his Contest Pass and returned it to him. "See ya," Drew muttered to the little girl, flipping his bangs as he turned and walked away. The girl grinned and then looked down, only for Drew to hear an ear-splitting squeal ricochet into his ear canal. This was going to be too good; he had to turn around and watch. Sure enough, he turned on his heel to see Violet rushing to the little girl's side to see the cause of her glee. The female Coordinator snatched the autograph book from the little girl to read, "Stay cute. Love, Drew." swirled onto the page in Drew's scriptive handwriting.

"HEY!" shouted the little girl. Violet's face quickly flushed the color of a Cherri berry as she threw the book bag to the girl, her eyes narrowed and her nose scrunched up angrily. The young top Coordinator stomped towards her boyfriend and Drew imagined steam coming out of her ears, blowing her hair into a mess. Her face bordered on Shadow-scary and suddenly the green-haired boy was regretting his little tidbit of fun.

"I'm watching you today, why?" she growled, stomping past Drew into the stadium room behind the front counter. The boy let out a deep breath as he watched her disappear, loosening his sweater's hold on his neck. Violet angry equals not fun.

"What'd you do?" came a slightly amused voice from the entrance. The sliding doors closed behind a slightly dark-skinned Coordinator, dawning his red and black jacket and pushing his curly bangs out of his face.

"Nothing," he replied to Steven, looking away. The charcoal-headed boy walked up to the shorter boy's side, chuckling.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it," he exclaimed. "Girls get even more jealous than us guys." Drew tried to picture Violet beating some other girl up over him, but he couldn't conjure the image. Violet? That jealous? Yeah right.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Verdanturf Town Poke'mon Contest!" announced Vivian Meridian in her knee-high, sparkling, red dress. "The time until the National Grande Festival is winding down! This may be the last chance of some contestants to get their fifth ribbon! But only one can win! Are you ready?" The crowd erupted into applause, accompanied by loud shouts of "YES!" and cries for their favorite Coordinators.

"She sure knows how to get a crowd pumped up, huh?" Drew heard Steven asked from his side.

"Yeah," the green-eyed boy said quietly as he peeked out behind the curtains that cascaded down from his spot backstage. His eyes however weren't on the announcer, but rather the audience. His emerald irises darted this way and that, searching for an array of purple that would signify a certain someone in the audience. To his disdain, he didn't spot anything and he shoved the curtain away, baring his teeth at nothing in particular. Was she so upset that she wouldn't watch?

"You okay?" Steven asked quickly.

"I'm fine," Drew bit back, turning to look at the other Coordinator just as Vivian declared that it was time to start the preliminary rounds and the first contestant took the stage. The two young men sat down on a bench, starring up at the monitor as a boy with a Raichu took center stage. Drew watched his performance, criticizing it and critiquing it to distract himself from his thoughts. It was decent, but just decent, which is why he received only a 21. Performance after performance that followed was quite similar and the young Coordinator quickly found himself bored. No wonder these Coordinators were still trying to get ribbons at this time. They sucked. His consciousness pointed out that he was also still trying to get a ribbon, but he reminded himself that he had had a few interruptions.

"Next, let's welcome, from our very own Verdanturf Town, Steven!" The sound of Vivian announcing the name of the Coordinator next to him knocked Drew out of his thoughts.

"Well, wish me luck," Steven smiled as he stood up. Drew refrained from telling him that he would do no such thing, but gave him a friendly glance nonetheless and watched as he walked onto the stage.

Clamors of applause thundered throughout the stadium as Steven appeared on stage. It was probably just because this was his hometown, Drew told himself.

"Blastoise, let's go!" he shouted, tossing a shiny poke'ball high into the air. A flash of white light consumed the stage, followed by a burst of large, glowing blue bubbles that erupted out of the poke'ball. A moment later, a bulky, cerulean turtle busted out from the epicenter of the bubble storm, showing off its massive muscles and the huge cannons that jetted out of its shell. It hit the ground with a loud 'thud', flexing its arms and striking a pose.

"_Stoise!" _it grunted, punching the air.

"Hydro pump, followed by ice beam!" Steven ordered. A powerful stream of water exploded out of the guns that protruded from Blastoise's shell. The liquid gushed high into the air then, at its peak, the giant, blue turtle opened its mouth and a blue-white beam shot from between its jaws straight up to meet the water. Upon contact, the mountain of water froze instantly.

"Now before it comes down, skull bash attack!" the charcoal-haired boy exclaimed as he dashed to center stage, right next to his Poke'mon.

"_Stoise!" _it rumbled and launched itself into the air, its head tucked in. Rushing upwards, its head collided with the large falling chunk of ice and the mass burst into a flurry of falling ice shards, some of them rather rugged and sharp.

"What is Steven doing in the middle of the stage?" Vivian gasped. "He's going to get crushed!" The flurry of mini-glaciers thundered down into the ground, Blastoise hitting soon after, and the impact sent a humongous plume of white mist into the air, covering the stage in its icy cloak. Exclamations of shock resounded throughout the crowd.

"Steven?" cried Vivian as she began to rush to the middle of the stage. Even the judges stood up.

Was he suicidal? Drew thought as he watched the fiasco unfold on stage. But just then, some of the smoke began to clear and through the haze one could make out the undeniable figure of a boy. Afterwards the cloud quickly dispersed to reveal Steven standing safely between shards, each no more than an inch away from him. He looked upwards at the crowd, grinned, flashed a peace sign, and was responded to with a thunderous roar of applause.

"Wasn't that amazing?" Vivian squealed. "He didn't even get scathed!"

Drew wasn't surprised with the upcoming scores, although the judges might've just given him high marks for having guts, but his final score of 29 definitely gave him a sure-fire shot in the finals.

"Not bad, huh?" Steven grinned as he returned to the backstage lounge after receiving his score.

"Hmph," Drew grunted. "If you call suicidal 'not bad'."

"It's not suicide," the black-haired boy shot back. "It's calculations and a master of physics."

"Whatever," the other Coordinator sighed, rolling his eyes. He wasn't paying attention any more. He was once again scanning the crowd for a familiar head of mauve hair.

It wasn't but a few performances later that it was his turn on stage. He appeared beneath the spotlight with his signature flick of the hair and was answered with an eruption of calls, mostly those females. He held the pose for a split second, just so he could let his eyes dart among the people for a fray of purple hair. None. A scowl almost appeared on his lips.

"Come on out, Roselia!" he declared, tossing his poke'ball.

"_Roossrrr!" _the grass Poke'mon chimed as it burst out of its capsule, accompanied by a flurry of sakura petals.

"Petal dance!" Drew shouted with a ferocity that almost disturbed his Poke'mon. The rose-bearing creature gave a twirl, sending a blizzard of more pink petals into the air.

"It's Roselia's signature petal dance!" Vivian said on her play-by-play.

"Shadow ball!" the green-haired boy added loudly.

"Ooh! There's a twist!" the red-clad announcer said in surprise.

"_Rosrr!" _Roselia declared, aiming its roses into the air as an orb of dark energy began to form. When it was about the size of a basketball, the grass-type gave a twirl as it fired it, sending it upward with a spin. The sphere of darkness shot upward through the petals, sending them upwards into a spiraling tower tipped off by a dark globe.

"Quick! Solarbeam!" Drew exclaimed. Amazingly, Roselia immediately fired a golden beam of light from its roses straight up through the center of the flower tower and into the shadow ball. The blackness absorbed the solar energy at first, but then it began to expand for just a moment before completely exploding. The energy rushed outward, disintegrating the flower petals and covering the stage in a sparkling dust.

"Wasn't that interesting?" Vivian beamed. "Judges?" Drew didn't listen to his scores of three perfect 10's, but managed to put on a fake smile for his fans have he gave a bow, returned Roselia to its poke'ball, and made his way back stage.

"Great job out there!" Steven complimented as Drew lumbered down the couple steps into the backstage lounge.

"Thanks," the green-haired boy mumbled carelessly, not meeting the other Coordinator's eye. As he sat down on a nearby bench, thoughts raced through his head. Did Violet completely leave? Where did she go if she did? He clenched his eyes shut, surprised at his own frustration.

"That was the last contestant, so let's find out our finalists!" he heard Vivian announce through the monitor. Out of practice more so than interest he picked his head up to glance at the screen. He wasn't surprised when his face appeared first, then followed by Steven's. The remaining two finalists were some other Coordinators that both had at least 5 points less than both of them - not worth the effort.

Steven and he was to fight one of the others: Steven fought a girl with a Zigzagoon and Drew a boy with a Tropius. Drew used Flygon in the 2nd round and carried out his battle in a fog, almost completely giving no effort. In fact, Flygon managed to fend mostly for itself without much command. The Coordinator was grateful for that, because for some reason he couldn't force his brain to concentrate on the contest. It kept drifting off into other thoughts.

"And the winner is Drew! He'll move on to face Steven in the final round!" Vivian announced. The green-haired boy blinked into reality, having to shake his head a little. It was like he had been absent for his own match, completely unaware of what had been going on! Wait... did she say he would have to face Steven? He turned to look at the brown-eyed boy on the corner of the stage behind him. The Verdanturfian flashed him a thumbs-up, but in his head Drew groaned. He wasn't looking forward to facing that Ursaring - now he would actually have to think.

The match started not long later, Drew still forcing himself into consciousness. It held a similar feeling to that of trying to make yourself stay awake when you haven't slept for days. Why couldn't he concentrate?

"And we'll start the clock!" Vivian exclaimed. Thankfully, the sound of the beeping stirred Drew enough to look straight ahead at his Flygon opposing Steven's great bear Poke'mon.

"We'll start things off! Ursaring, use hyper beam!" Steven declared. With a hefty roar, Ursaring bellowed and a ray of golden energy shot from its mouth. What Drew did next was a split second decision. In fact, he almost stumbled over his words as they came out of his mouth.

"You too, Flygon!" he ordered and Flygon whinnied as an equally bright beam of energy shot from its mouth, slamming into the beam conjured by the bear. Upon contact the attacks created an eruption of energy, sending a storm of smoke into the air, and Drew heard the sound of two point bars dropping an equal amount on the screen over his head.

"Use slash!" Steven retaliated all-to-quickly.

"_Rrrwawrrinng!" _the bear growled as it surged through the smoke, its massive front claws glistening as they aimed for Flygon.

"Dodge!" Drew shouted and Flygon's lean body wiggled around Ursaring, whipping around it like a snake.

"Hammer arm!" the other Coordinator declared and too fast for Drew to register it, the large, brown Poke'mon had swung around, its mighty arm glowing bright white, and slammed it directly into the flank of his dragon Poke'mon. It screeched, sounding much like a banshee, and was flung across the stage.

"Ouch! That's going to take Drew down some more points! And with that, Steven takes the lead!" Vivian said as Flygon pushed itself to its feet, its shoulders arched and poised for an attack. Drew tried to think, but for some reason nothing came to mind. Agh, he didn't have time anyway!

"Flygon, use dragon rush!" he cried.

"_Rrriieegh!" _whinnied the dragon, encasing its arms in a soft purple aura before thrusting itself into the air with its wings and speeding for Ursaring.

"Close combat, Ursaring!" Steven shot back. Ursaring flexed its powerful paws and rushed forward. The two met and Flygon struck first, swiping its claws at the bear's face. Ursaring blocked it with a paw and swiped with another, only to have Flygon weave out of the way. This process continued for moments more, Drew watching on with a frustrated look on his face.

"Hey, Drew!" came the familiar, squeaky call from somewhere beyond the stage. The sound cut through the air like a bullet to Drew's ears and he immediately turned his head out into the audience to look. Just at the foot of the stage was a bouncing Violet waving frantically. She had come!

"_Rrrriiiiieeeggggyyhhh!" _wailed Flygon pathetically. Drew's head jerked back just in time to see his dragon being tossed across the stage by Ursaring's powerful swipes.

"Ooh! And there goes more of Drew's points!" Vivian went on. The green-haired boy gritted his teeth, wishing a certain announcer's microphone would decide to stop working.

"Flygon, get up!" Drew ordered. The green dragon pushed itself up, flinching only slightly, but steadied its stance for battle. Pride surged through the Coordinator looking on at his Poke'mon and he smirked. There's no way we're losing to these two, Drew thought. As if Flygon had heard him, it looked over its shoulder with its long neck and caught its Coordinator's gaze, a twinkle in its eye. Drew nodded.

"Aerial ace!" he shouted. Flygon gave a battle cry and surged into the air, performing a loop-de-loop before zipping towards Ursaring.

"Stop it in its tracks!" Steven retaliated. Those words were like someone had pressed 'pause, rewind, and play' in Drew's head as he glanced at Violet out of the corner of his eye.

_"Aerial ace!" Drew commanded. Wings spread wide, Flygon dove for Onyx Ice. _

_"Stop it in its tracks!" Shadow hissed. Onyx Ice abruptly grabbed Flygon by the wings, stopping it dead. _

The scene played over in Drew's head in a split second and he flashed back to the current time just as Ursaring caught Flygon by the wings, stopping its assault.

"Flygon, use your tail!" Drew ordered at once.

"_Rryyeeigh!" _it whinnied and its tail lashed forward between its hind legs. The powerful tail whipped forward, slamming Ursaring in the face, and sending it backwards along the stage.

"Now dragonbreath!" the green-haired boy followed-up, a 'no mercy' glare in his eye. A burst of green flames erupted from the dragon's mouth and soared towards the bear.

"_Rrrrriinnng!" _it growled, throwing up its strong arms to protect its face. The flames lapped around it, singing its fur and lighting the bear up like a green night-light. When the attack subsided, Ursaring lowered its defense, glaring but slightly scathed by the flames.

"And lots of points lost for Steven now! Looks like Drew's not done yet!" Vivian went on.

"Whoo! Way to go, Drew!" the green-haired Coordinator heard from a particular mauve-haired girl from the sidelines.

"Ursaring, let's kick it up a notch! Use bulk up!" Steven ordered and the great grizzly flexed its muscles, letting out a mighty roar as a crimson aura slipped in around its body.

"Careful, Flygon!" Drew said.

"_Reiigh!" _it screeched in confirmation.

'Dragon rush!" Flygon surged forward, purple eclipsing its forearms and claws.

"Close combat!" Steven ordered and once again the two Poke'mon were locked in a claw-to-claw contest of slashing and dodging.

"Use your tail!" the green-eyed boy declared and Flygon's powerful tail surged upwards again.

"You won't fool us twice! Hammer arm!" the other boy exclaimed and one of Ursarings gigantic arms took on a glowing white light, slamming downwards to meet Flygon's tail. The two attacks rammed each other and Drew was admittedly surprised when Flygon's tail held up to the sheer power behind Ursaring's arm. Both the dragon and the bear showed bared teeth as each pushed back and forth in their power struggle.

"Hyper beam!" ironically, both Coordinators shouted at the same time. Rays of light exploded from both Poke'mon's mouths, only to smash together and create another explosion of smoke.

"Flygon!" Drew cried.

"Ursaring!" he heard Steven exclaim from across the stage. Neither Coordinator answered but when the smoke cleared, both Poke'mon stood on opposing ends of the stage. Ursaring was down on one knee, panting hard and holding itself up with its fist. Flygon was on all-four's, it's tail weakly laying by its side and its wings a bit limp. Both had scathes and burns from the explosion, but they looked on with glares.

"Wow! Both Poke'mon are still standing!" Vivian said, astounded. "Wait a minute! Look at Flygon!" Drew blinked in surprise but glanced at his dragon. Ms. Meridian was right. One of its forelegs had folded underneath it, and the other one was trembling terribly.

"Flygon, come on! You've got to get up!" Drew encouraged, wishing he could send his ferocity to his Poke'mon.

"_Rriieeggyhh.." _it whinnied weakly and the boy watched the strain beneath the green scales as the Poke'mon pushed itself upward. Just as it appeared that it would be able to get to all-four's again, Drew's heart dropped. Its legs fell out from underneath it and Flygon collapsed to the stage floor, its wings laid out uselessly over its back and its eyes fluttered close.

"Flygon!" he cried.

"Oh on!" Vivian frowned. "It looks like Flygon's unable to battle!"


	26. Chapter 26

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 26: _Petals for Pedals_

"It looks like Steven's our winne-!"

"Look at Flygon!" Drew heard the exclamation from Violet just off-stage as she cut off Vivian Meridian. His gaze shot back to his Poke'mon to see the muscles in its legs twitch with the effort as it slowly but surely struggled to stand on all-four's.

"No way!" the ebony-haired boy across the stage muttered, his eyes wide.

"It looks like Flygon's not done yet, folks!" announced their red-clad hostess. "But if Drew's gonna make a comeback, he better do it quickly." Drew glanced at the screen: 30 seconds left to go and he was behind by some points. He threw his opponent's Ursaring a heated glare. It was panting hard and scathed from various attacks, but standing nonetheless. How? He averted his gaze to its massive feet. Those huge paws were grounding it! If only he could get it into the air. But then he looked at his Flygon. It was twitching as it stood lowered to the ground on all-four's with its shoulders arched and its lips pulled back into a hiss, making it look much like a gigantic, green Persian. It wasn't going to be able to get high into the air any time soon. Drew's only chance was to win by points.

"You can do it, Flygon!" Violet called from the sidelines although out of the corner of his eye Drew noticed her gaze was aimed more towards him than his Poke'mon.

"Now, hyper beam and dragonbreath - combination!" he ordered and two bursts of energy, one gold and one emerald, burst from Flygon's wide jaws and swirled around each other as they rushed forward towards Ursaring.

"Wow! Two attacks from its mouth at once! That's impressive!" grinned Ms. Meridian.

"Stand your ground, Ursaring!" Steven declared. His bear threw up its burly arms, crossing them in front of its face as the maelstrom of energy collided with it.

_"Rwwroooarrr!"_ thundered the bear as it was met head-on by the blast of power. Drew looked on before a soft smirk appeared on his face.

"That was foolish.." he muttered under his breath just as Ursaring's threshold broke and its arms snapped open, releasing the flood of gold and green energy so it could slam into its gut and send it flying across the stage.

"Whoa! Looks like that was too much power for even Ursaring to handle!" Vivian cried into her microphone, looking on excitedly.

"Get up, Ursaring!" the dark-haired boy begged from where he stood opposite Drew. His bear Poke'mon was, with a great deal of effort and multiple grunts and growls, pushing itself back up to its feet. "Good! Now let's use hammer arm!" Ursaring let out a massive bellow as its right arm was encased in a harsh light and it lunged towards the dragon. Drew glared at the bear, thinking fast. Flygon wouldn't be able to dodge; it was too weak. They would have to force it back.

"Flygon, use dragonbreath and point it upwards!" the green-haired Coordinator instructed and his dragon tossed its head up into the air without hesitation and let loose a green jet of flame that sprouted upwards and then began to fountain down around it. "Flap your wings!"

_"Rrreeiigghh!"_ whinnied Flygon as it beat its giant sets of wings furiously back and forth, whipping up a whirlwind that surged upward and splattered against the emerald flames, spiraling them outwards and creating a flurry around the dragon Poke'mon. The eruption rushed out and before Ursaring had realized it, it was flanked by jets of green embers on every side.

"Wow. Drew has used dragonbreath defensively! And Ursaring just might be trapped!" Vivian announced excitedly.

"Weave your way through it! Get that Flygon!" Steven declared furiously. His bear let out a determined roar, the brightness on its arm relighting as it threw its other paw up for protection and meandered its way through the minefield of flames, taking a hit here and there and grunting in displeasure as it singed its makeshift shield of an arm. Slowly but surely, the bear forced its way closer to the green dragon as shearing flames rushed by, tossed by the powerful winds. Flygon's screams echoed behind its jet of hot breath and roars and growls of dissatisfaction rumbled from Ursaring while the attacks spiraled around them.

_"No! It's getting too close!"_ Drew thought, gritting his teeth. But that split second of thinking had distracted him long enough for the bear Poke'mon to plant itself just a foot away from his dragon. Its massive, white-lit arm swung around and rushed towards Flygon. That's when the blast from the buzzer sounded and like a button had been pressed, Flygon's flames disappeared, the winds died down, and the white faded from Ursaring's arm, its claws just an inch or two from the side of the dragon's elongated neck.

"Stop! That's it! Time is up!" Ms. Meridian declared into her mike. Drew felt his heart drop into his stomach. Dare he look at the score board?

"Wow! This is a close one! Looks like the judges are gonna have to mull this one over!" He blinked his eyes open, just now realizing that he had screwed them shut, and glanced at the screen above his head. The two score bars beneath his and Steven's images were both low, but had to be completely identical! He glared in frustration, his eye twitching slightly.

_"Rreeiiighh..."_ Flygon whistled weakly as it gently sunk to the floor, folding its legs beneath it and resting its head on the ground, neck outstretched. The boy shifted his gaze to it and slowly walked over, kneeling beside the dragon's head and rubbing it between its antennae-like horns.

"Thanks, Flygon. You did great," he murmured softly and was responded with a quiet whinny from his Poke'mon. His green gaze swept out over the audience and then at the front of the stage where he noticed a mauve-haired female clasping her hands together hopefully, looking on at him and Flygon. Across the stage, Steven stood next to his Ursaring, who was sitting down on the floor with its shoulder hunched over slightly, petting its burly arm proudly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this was a tough decision for our judges! But after some deliberation...!" Vivian announced, grabbing everyone's attention. Drew's heart jumped again. "... since our contestants scores were completely tied, our judges have decided, by a judgment of his style, finesse, and cleverness, and for his amazing comeback, our winner is Drew and his Flygon!"

All at once the crowd erupted into a thunderous applause and Drew let out a deep breath. Across the stage, Steven looked on with a blank expression. The green-haired boy refrained from flashing him a smirk and instead nodded in his direction. He was replied to with a sudden grin and a returned nod.

"For winning the Verdanturf Town Poke'mon Contest, we present you with your contest ribbon!" Vivian Meridian beamed, placing a elegant, lavender ribbon with a gold-crested pendent in Drew's palm. "Congratulations!"

Drew looked down at the miniaturized poke'ball between his fingers as he stepped out of the automatic, glass doors of the Contest Hall. He could only imagine how exhausted his Flygon was as he popped the sphere onto his belt. Just as he heard the 'click' sound, a familiar form was flung against him, arms sent tightly around his neck and knocking him forward a couple steps. His green eyes rolled sideways and he instinctively clasped his hands around hers at the base of his neck, looking at Violet over his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Drew! You won!" she exclaimed, nudging his cheek with her nose. He made a 'huff' sound and ushered her away before running a hand through his bangs.

"What'd you expect?" he smirked, thoughts of Flygon floating around in the back of his mind.

"How's Flygon?" the bubbly girl asked, her voice squeaking for half a second. He blinked in surprise as if she had read his mind. His fists were shoved into his pockets as he started to walk past her. He didn't want to give off the illusion he had pushed Flygon to hard.

"We should probably get it to the Center," he muttered passively. Almost instantly, Violet was at his side.

"Hey guys! Wait up!" Drew turned on his heel to see Steven running out of the Contest Hall's doors, waving his hand in their direction.

"Wonder what he wants?" the green-haired boy thought outloud. The taller boy had caught up with them in seconds, flanking the other side of Violet.

"Are you guys going to go see Mom?" he asked. Drew didn't bother to point out he was going to the Poke'mon Center for Flygon. The fact that the other Coordinator's family was there was irrelevant.

"Mhm," Violet answered anyways. Out of the corner of his eye, Drew swore he saw her glance at him and notice the annoyance flashing in his distant gaze. Great... She was reading his mind again. "What are you going to do now, Steven?" she asked with a tilt of the head in a not-so-obvious hope of changing the subject.

"Probably just hang out here for awhile," Steven replied, putting his hands behinds his fluffy, charcoal-colored hair as they walked. "I've been a little homesick."

"What about the National Grand Festival?" Violet asked with a few rapid blinks. The taller boy brushed it off.

"No point," he said. "I'm a ribbon short and there's no way I'll get one in two weeks." He flashed a grin that failed to hide the disappointment behind his eyes. "Do you have all your ribbons, Drew?" he asked. Now it was his turn to change the subject apparently. The green-haired boy casually and coolly flashed his open ribbons case to reveal five ribbons. "Nice!" Steven complimented.

The trio made their way into the Poke'mon Center where a recognizable, dark cherry headed woman sat behind the counter. Sunglasses hid what was probably a careless gaze anyway and she was wrapped from neck to foot in a dreary, black kimono that appeared to have been spray-painted black over an elaborate, bright-colored design.

"What can I do for you?" Her tone wasn't the cheery, customer-serving tone of a Nurse Joy, but rather morbid and apathetic instead. Drew dropped Flygon's poke'ball into the palm of her hand, not bothering to ask why she was doing her mother's job.

"So how do you guys plan to get to Slateport?" asked Steven. Drew turned to face him and casually leaned backwards against the Center's front desk.

"Slateport...?" Violet blinked, putting a thumb to the corner of her mouth and tilting her sideways a little. "Oh! That's where the National Grand Festival's being held!" The green-haired boy couldn't hold back an amused grin at her forgetfulness.

"We're going to head back to Mauville and then take the route south to Slateport. We should get there in less than a week," he replied. This time the taller boy blinked, raising a dark eyebrow in confusion.

"A week?" he repeated. "You should be there in just a couple of days. Just take cycling road." Cycling road? Drew and Violet exchanged an inquisitive glance before looking back at Steven.

"I didn't know you had a Tropius," Drew commented lamely as the scarlet light faded away to reveal the fruit-bearing sauropodic Poke'mon. Tropius let out a purr as its owner stroked it behind its yellow fruit under its chin.

"You never asked," chuckled Steven. "I know Flygon's pretty tired, even after going to the Center. Tropius can take you guys as far as Mavuille but then it'll have to come back. Once you're there, find Rydel's Cycles. It's at the far side of town," the black-haired Coordinator instructed. "Find a couple bikes, take cycling road, and you should be in Slateport with plenty of time to spare before the Festival."

"Thanks for the help, Steven," Violet beamed appreciatively, her hands clasped together. Drew muttered something of a 'thank you' but he was busy securing his and Violet's egg cases tightly in their knapsacks. Truthfully, he didn't know how much he liked flying with a strange Poke'mon. Then again, Mauville wasn't far away. By air it couldn't take more than half an hour or less. It couldn't be that bad could it?

Drew clung tightly to the dinosaur-like Poke'mon's long neck as he shook his blowing bangs out of his eyes. Flying with a bulky Poke'mon like Tropius was nothing like flying with his stream-line Flygon. It felt as if he were to lean ever so slightly one way he'd fall right off!

The sound of Violet giggling in his ear made him look over his shoulder, only to see her smiling widely with her mauve hair whipping around her face. He rolled his eyes, silently hoping to himself that she never obtained a large flying Poke'mon. It was hard enough to keep her feet on the ground as it is.

He looked forward again only to see the rooftops of Mauville city appearing over a rolling hill not far ahead.

"Mauville!" grinned the girl behind him and she squeezed him around the waist excitedly. The sound of a whistle-like snicker rumbled from Tropius and Drew shot it a warning glare.

"Can you drop us off in front of Rydel's?" he asked the Fruit Poke'mon. It nodded and hummed a response before zooming ahead with a strong surge of its banana-leaf wings.

Tropius landed with the pair of Coordinator's less than a block from the bike shop, dropping to the ground with surprising gentleness despite its bulky size. This didn't stop Drew from sliding down the Poke'mon's rough-hide flank as soon as it touched the ground, however.

"Thanks, Tropius," Violet cooed as Drew helped her to the ground as well. The green-haired boy rolled his eyes as the sauropod licked the amethyst-eyed girl's cheek and let her pluck a fruit from its beard of produce. "Hehe. Thanks!" she grinned, petting its head before it took off into the air again to return to Steven.

"It sure was nice of Steven to help us out," Violet muttered as she peeled the rough skin from the Tropius fruit, not looking up at her boyfriend. Meanwhile the young male Coordinator was more than happy to be rid of the other charcoal-headed teen, but he wouldn't deny that he was a convenience. His female companion took a large bite out of her treat, making a small 'nom' sound as she bit into it cutely.

"Smoh mlef -" Drew shot her a stern gaze that shut her mumbling up immediately and rose a green eyebrow, his arms folded. She cast a cheeky grin before swallowing.

"So.. let's go get those bikes!" she said again. Drew turned on his heel to face the direction of Rydel's bike shop, only to see a small cluster of people with banners hanging over ahead, connecting light posts on either side of the street. He scanned the area curiously before walking towards it. A semi-short man, probably middle-aged Drew would've guessed, could be seen in the center of the crowd. He had burly auburn hair that was slicked back and curled upwards in the front, the way mothers styled the hair of their six-year-olds. From head to toe he was wearing a dark green, plaid suit with an ugly red tie and a microphone was in his left hand.

"Come one and all! Win a battling tournament and win this deluxe Mach and Acro bike combo set!" he declared, bouncing around and shaking the hands of possible costumers and competitors. Drew could see a couple of interested looks on the faces around the shop owner, Rydel no doubt, as some of them pulled poke'ball's from their pockets. A smirk came across the young Coordinator's face as he crossed his arms.

"Violet," he said coolly over his shoulder.

"Hm?" she peeped, looking up quickly with her cheeks stuffed like those of a Pikachu.

"Find your cloak."

"Do we have any more entries? Any more entries?" came the voice of Rydel as he carried his box of competitor names around the crowd of people.

"We're in!" The crowd of people turned to see where the voice had come from. They were answered when their eyes fell on the sight of a familiar cloaked female, her cape billowing around and her hood up to conceal most of her face, and a green-haired Coordinator, a hand on his hip to enhance his arrogant stature.

"This is a doubles' tournament, right?" he asked with a cocky grin, tossing a poke'ball up in his free hand and catching it again. Eruptions of whispers spread throughout the crowd of onlookers. Drew could hear mumbles of his and Shadow's names. It was times like these that being a celebrity amused him to no end.

"Of course!" Rydel exclaimed, seemingly unfazed at the appearance of two top-Coordinators in front of his shop. Drew snatched a piece of detachable paper from the bike shop owner and scribbled down his and Shadow's names before dropping it into the box of competitors.

_"Obviously a thrown-together tournament for advertisement,"_ he told himself as he looked at Shadow over his shoulder. "Ready?" he smirked.

"Ready," she hissed and Drew could imagine her winking from beneath her hood.

It wasn't moments later that he and Shadow stood on one side of the street and two young boys stood on the other. The green-eyed boy sized up his opponents. Young boys - easy pickings. He reached towards his belt and almost naturally grabbed Flygon's poke'ball out of habit, since his dragon was the toughest fighter on his team, but it would probably still be too tired. He changed his mind in an instance and plucked another sphere from his waist.

"Roselia, go!" he cried, tossing the poke'ball into the air.

"Dark Thorn, come!" Shadow declared, snapping her capsule with a flick of her wrist. Two flashes of white light revealed the rose-bearing and wolf-like Poke'mon. It let out a battle cry of a howl and Roselia gave a flirtatious twirl, shooting a wink towards her Coordinator's opponents. The two young trainers quickly released a Bulbasaur and a Mudkip. At once Drew could tell they were young and weak; this battle was going to be pathetically easy.

"Shadow ball!" both Coordiantors ordered together. Dark Thorn rose its head, charged a sphere of darkness, and shot it towards the starter Poke'mon as Roselia did the same. The two orbs danced around each other as they zoomed forward. Both Coordinators recognized the look of surprise on the two young boys' faces at the quickness of which the battle started.

"Dodge, Bulbasaur!" one shouted.

"You two, Mudkip!" came the other. The two tiny starter Poke'mon skirted away just in time as the shadow orbs huddled past.

"Bulbasaur, use razor leaf!"

"Bulba-SAUR!" cried the little bulb-backed creature as it shot a series of leaves wisping from the plant on its hindquarters.

"Roselia, use petal dance!" Drew retaliated.

"Roosrrrr!" it sang and leapt into the air, spinning itself gracefully as it sent a flurry of cherry blossoms twirling out from its roses. The storm of petals spun against the razor leaf attack, nullifying the leaves as they slammed into one another.

"Take down, Thorn!" exclaimed Shadow. The Mightyena let out a howl as it sprang through the flurry of pink petals with surprising speed and slammed itself into Bulbasaur. The young grass-type Poke'mon gave a pain-ridden cry and was tossed backwards onto its bulb, letting out a grown of defeat.

"Bulbasaur!" the small boy cried, running over and putting a hand on his Poke'mon's belly.

"Now bite that Mudkip!" the female Coordinator went on mercilessly. Dark Thorn spun around to face small mudfish Poke'mon, a snarl on its face. The water-type yipped in fear and turned tail to run but it was too late. The Mightyena had already clamped its jaws down on the Mudkip's tail fin and it squeaked weakly.

"No, Mudkip!" frowned the other young trainer.

"Send it flying," Shadow snickered. With a growl, Dark Thorn tossed its head to send Mudkip soaring into the air.

"Finish it with magical leaf, Roselia!" Drew declared.

"Rosr!" it exclaimed and tossed a string of aura-encased leaves from its roses that quickly sped towards the Mudkip and nailed it in the chest, sending it sprawling to the ground.

"My Mudkip!" the youngster bellowed as it picked up its starter Poke'mon in his arms.

"It's obvious! We have Shadow and Drew moving on to the next round!" shouted Rydel. Drew held back a 'duh' face and instead cast a sideways glance at his partner.

"You're merciless," he smirked. Her response was her thin lips curving into a crooked smile from beneath her hood.

The next series of battles weren't much more difficult than the first. Competitors were mostly casual battlers that didn't seem to have much experience. Getting to the final round was sadly easy for the two top-Coordinators.

"Final round! Drew and Shadow vs. Liem and Daniel!" Rydel announced. He was no member of the Meridian family, that was for sure. Drew looked across the "field" at his opponents. As far as he could tell, they looked fairly much the same. They both wore jumpsuits suited for athletic bikers and identical sunglasses. The best way to tell them apart was from the red and blue bike helmets on their heads. They still couldn't have been much of a threat. The bikers released their Poke'mon, a Dodrio and a Zangoose, and the pair of Coordinators re-sent out their Poke'mon before the battle commenced.

"Dodrio, tri attack!" the red-helmeted Liem ordered.

Do-Do-Do-DODRIO!" squawked each of the heads before they harmonized together as each of them summoned an electric, blazing, and frosty orb, respectively, above their heads. With a flick of their necks, that sent the elemental orbs boomeranging towards the Coordinator's Poke'mon.

"Shadow ball, Roselia!" Drew shouted at once. With a hum, Roselia collected a dark aura at the end of its red rose before firing it right in the middle of Dodrio's elemental triangle. The sphere lodged itself in the center of the triforce, halting the attack mid-air. Shadow shot her partner a knowing grin.

"Thorn use shadow ball!" she exclaimed. Dark Thorn let out a bark as it fired its own shadow ball at the conjumbled attacks. The impact sent the mass of darkness and elemental energy hurtling back towards Dodrio. It squawked loudly as a puff of smoke conjured up around it upon the attack's contact. The smoke consumed both bikers' Poke'mon to the point where neither Coordinator could see. Then...

"Zangoose, use crush claw!" Daniel declared suddenly.

"Zaaaannnnggg!" the mongoose Poke'mon yowled as it hurtled through the smoke, it paw raised high into the air with its claws glowing a ghostly blue.

"Stop it, Thorn!" Shadow insisted. The Mightyena bravely bounded forward, jaws open wide. It rushed up the mongoose and snapped its jaws on tightly to its wrist before the red-and-white Poke'mon could've finished its attack. The Zangoose let out a painful yelp as its claws lost their powerful aura and faded back to black.

"Help Dark Thorn out, Roselia! Solarbeam!" came the call of Drew.

"Rooossrr!" the rose-bearing Poke'mon whistled as it rose its roses up towards the sky and they began glowing a soft gold. "ROSRR!" Firing its roses towards Zangoose, the golden laser sped straight for it. The Mightyena leapt away just in time, darting back to its owner as the solarbeam collided with Zangoose and sent it flying backwards where it slammed back-first into Dodrio so the two Poke'mon landed at their owners' feet in a daze.

"Dodrio and Zangoose are out! Drew and Shadow are our winners!" Rydel announced loudly, stepping aside to give the Coordinator's a path to their new bikes.

Drew sat calmly on the bed in his and Violet's room in the Poke'mon Center. Once again they were shoved into a single-bed room. This was probably due to all the Coordinators heading towards Slateport for the Festival; the Center was full-up.

He ran the gently-dampened rag over the smooth surface of his cinnamon-colored egg that sat cradled in his lap, vaguely wondering when it would hatch. That was when the door swung open to reveal a still hooded Shadow as she swept into the room, appearing like a ghost with her cape. She made sure the door was closed behind her before she rid herself of her hood. Drew chuckled softly, not looking up at his girlfriend.

"Outside admiring the bikes?" he asked. He heard Violet giggle and saw her shrugging out of the corner of his eye.

"You were great today," she complimented, removing her cloak.

"Eh, you weren't so bad either," he replied, running a hand through his bangs. Not bad? She was great! Of course, Drew would never tell her that.

"Thanks," she grinned as she kicked her shoes off and lazily plopped down on the bed in front of Drew.

"Hey!" he snapped. "Careful! You'll make the egg roll." His navy-sweater dawning arms laced protectively around the egg.

"Sorry," the mauve-haired girl frowned, scooting up beside him. He blinked at her once at looked back down at Carletta's egg, pretending it was interesting to look at. "So...we go to Slateport tomorrow, right?" she said boredly, leaning against his shoulder.

"Right," he replied in a nonchalant manner, acting as if she weren't really there. A tiny pout made its way onto her face as she looked up at him, put a hand on his shoulder, and yanked.

"Ow!" he sputtered. "What?"

"Let me lay on you!" she insisted, her bottom lip protruding out and her clean-cut eyebrows furrowed. Drew grumbled under his breath and rolled his eyes, shifting down against the pillows behind him so she could lay comfortably on the area between his shoulder and his chest. She let out a happy croon and nestled her head against his neck. The green-eyed boy felt the heat rush to his face and glanced away, wishing he could make it annoyance dancing across his cheeks instead of a blush. That's when he felt the softness of her arms slinking around his waist, giving a tight, affectionate squeeze. An uncomfortable hotness swept through him, making his face feel like it was on fire and he was pretty sure it looked that way too. A slight dizziness welled up in his head and without thinking he clasped onto her wrist and moved her arm away, setting the egg out of his lap and getting up off the bed as he did.

"I'll...er...polish your egg..." he muttered, taking only a few steps to make his way to their bags. There, he quickly found the egg case that housed Violet's ebony and scarlet-blotched egg, but he stood there for moments longer anyway, willing the heat to melt out of his body. Leaning against the wall, he let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

Behind him, Violet sat up straight on the bed and glanced at the back of his grass-green hair. What? What did she do? She clenched her eyes shut, fighting back the want to wail out questions, and tossed herself over on her side so that her back faced her companion. "_What's his problem?"_ she asked herself as a lip-biting form contorted her small, pink lips.


	27. Chapter 27

_A Guide To Her Heart_

Episode 27: _Riddle Me This!_

Drew's eyes lazily followed the round-and-round motion of Violet's black and yellow sneakers as they pedaled the bike in front of him. His irises had faded to a dull green as he watched, his auto-piloted muscles the only thing continuing to motor him forward. Although they might not be visible, he could feel bags beginning to form under his lids from lack of sleep last night. Now he was starting to regret not having had enough gal to climb into bed with Violet, if only to have gotten some rest. His hazy mind tried to decode what exactly prevented him from sleeping next to her, but his memory was as foggy as his noncaring vision.

The bike set that Shadow and Drew had won yesterday had been a Mach and Acro bike combo, and Violet (being the impatient person she is) darted straight for the free-flying Mach bike as soon as they had stepped out of the Poke'mon Center's doors this morning, and lost-in-his-thoughts Drew was conformed to the technical Acro. Now the pair were working their way south on cycling road, an elevated bridge that clouded over the landscape between generator-powered Mauville and the seashore Slateport.

Drew glanced down at the land beneath them as he followed a non-needing-attention line behind Violet. The landscape was gentle grassland, dotted with clumps of taller blades, and the slight taint of salty air could be tasted in the distance.

The smaller chain of Violet's Mach bike let her blitz ahead of Drew at boundless energetic speed. The green-eyed Coordinator blinked into some soft sense of reality just enough to realize his companion had scooted farther up, and he forced himself to speed up just to catch up enough to see clearly see the circling of her tires.

"Whooooooooo!" Violet screamed out as her long locks fluffed out behind her, an awkwardly large grin on her face. It almost appeared as if last night's events had been erased from her memory. A slight twitch of annoyance flickered in Drew's temple and he hurried up closer to her.

"Slow down," he grumbled, glancing sideways at her. The mauve-haired girl's reply was a giggle.

"But going fast is fun!" she cooed and whipped ahead. A grunt of dissatisfaction burst from Drew's lips as he rolled his eyes and pushed after her. Both his bike and his energy wouldn't let him keep up with her however, so he settled for watching her in the distant background as she excitedly raced down Cycling Road. They carried on this way for a while, even too the point of allowing Drew to slip back into his dazed state where he could ride and retreat into his thoughts at the same time. Luckily enough, his head just happened to be up at the right time for him to see a small dot growing in the more distant trails of the Cycling Road. He was thrown into consciousness, eyeing what he discovered to be a few approaching bikers. Two of them skidded to a stop in front of Violet, forcing her to slam on breaks. "What's up, guys?" Drew heard Violet asking good-naturedly as she looked around at them. A twinge of worry caught in his breath, and he hurried to catch up to his girlfriend. Another guy fell in behind her, cutting her off from the rest of the road so she was only flanked by the open-air of the Cycling Road bridge. This left one leather-clad rider to approach her from the other side, a Rayquaza tattoo and a snicker on his face.

"What'cha doin' ridin' down Cyclin' Road yer self, 'lil lady?" he cooed, revving his engine.

"She's not," Drew said loudly and quickly as he approached the group of bikes and stopped on a dime, sliding the bike sideways. The bikers looked up at him.

"Ooh, look-y here, boys," chuckled the evident leader. "She's got 'erself a boyfrien'." The other bikers laughed as if the great lump had told a funny joke. "Say," he went on, looking back to Violet. "What'cha got on ya?" His eyes flicked over her bike and other belongings like there might be some hidden gem amongst them.

"Nothing you would be interested in, I'm sure," Drew exclaimed firmly, his eyes narrowing. The head biker's face jerked towards him and seemed to turn to stone.

"Wel' I think I'll jus' take a look anyway," the thug grumbled, swinging off his bike and taking a step towards Violet. Drew immediately started his bike forward to cut the roughneck off, but two of the others were already on him. They revved their motorbikes loudly and rushed at him. He winced and turned sharply, bulleting off the other way. The bikers were faster, and their engines seemed to roar as they caught up to him. He was sure the heat on his back was coming from their motorbikes. Then, he slammed to a stop and they slid past him. His swift Acro bike reared up and turned around, letting him shoot back towards Violet.

The female Coordinator eyed the head goon with fear and contempt. She leaned off her bike, a foot on the ground, and reached for a poke'ball at her hip.

"Uh-uh!" laughed one of them, snapping a whip through the air and hitting her hand with a loud 'pop' sound. A screech rang from her lips as she grabbed her hand and clutched it to her chest. The gang leader stepped forward, chortling, and wrapped a huge hand around her arm; his burly, hairy arms could pull her around like a rag doll.

"Drew!" she wailed. The boy looked up and pulled to a stop, eyes on her assaulter. He glared lasers and went for one of the capsules at his waist, eyeing the others bikers that began to fall in around him. He twitched his arm muscle, as if it were about to move, and heard the whistle of metal whizzing through the air as one of them whipped a chain at him. His technical bike swerved on a dime and he tossed the poke'ball into the air after the chain had already been cast.

"Roselia!" he cried, pushing through past them in the flash of bright light, which when cleared left the little rose-bearing diva in the middle of their circle. "Petal dance!"

"Rosssrrrr!" it sang as it twirled and a plume of pink erupted around them and Drew heard cries of frustration, anger, and a few of pain from Roselia's sharp petals. He shot towards Violet and her attacker, bull-dozing at the leather-clad man with the dragon coiled across his cheek. A grunt came from the roughneck's mouth as he looked up and growled, turning to face Drew. That's when a glint flashed out of the corner of Drew's eye.

Violet, a scared look written all across her face, felt a strange material snap over her mouth and wrap around her body. Her eyes flew wide and with a sickening jerk, she was yanked backwards, whisked off the bridge. Drew's breath flung from his body and his bike stopped in an instant. She had zoomed off too fast for him to even follow where she had went. A sudden force like a Tauros hit him head-on, throwing him off his bicycle. His backside met the asphalt with a painful 'thud' and he grimaced, looking up at the thug that loomed over him. A gross chuckle followed as another pulled up to his side, whipping his chain towards him. Drew threw his hand up in front of his face and gasped in pain as it struck his hand, then swung around it. Instinctively, he grabbed and pulled. Caught off guard, the biker shrieked and wobbled off his bike as the makeshift weapon was snatched clear out of his hand. The gang leader gave Drew a surprised look for just a moment before lunging forward. The green-haired boy jumped to his feet and whipped the chain forward across the giant man's face. He growled angrily and swatted at it like it was bug, but by the time he paid attention Drew had already darted to the side of the bridge and jumped. He approached the ground quicker than he thought and, taking a deep breath, hit the grass, rolling forward. When he stopped he had actually managed to make to his knees again, and turned to see Roselia leaping down to meet him, landing gracefully as always. The bikers above hissed at him angrily, shaking their over-sized fists as they yelled "Stupid kids!" and clambered back onto their bikes before speeding off. Drew stood, letting out a deep breath, and brushed himself off, then quickly found himself looking frantically amongst the tall grass for a blur of purple hair.

"Violet?" he called, turning to look at every possible angle. The only thing around other than the waist-high greenery and Cycling Road overhead was a rather large house. The front looked relatively normal, made of simple brick, but the rest appeared as if it had been added on some time later, looking much like an old warehouse. He starred at it suspiciously before making his way forward, muttering a "Come on, Roselia" as he did.

He racked his knuckles against the front door and waited, but when he received no answer he glared at the door and reached for the knob. He jiggled it once; locked.

"Of course it is," he growled under his breath as he took a few steps back. Nodding to his Roselia, he charged forward and slammed himself against the door. After a few tackles from him and his Poke'mon, the door snapped open and swung violently back and forth on its hinge. He blinked at first, almost as if he was surprised that it had worked, and stepped inside. The room was simple: just a small wooden table with a tablecloth, a chair, a cabinet stand to the far right, a few decorative plants, and another door in the back with a white sheet of paper slapped across it.

The trickmaster isn't home right now, but I am commandeering from the back room. Make your way through the puzzle room to claim your prize!

The note was signed "T.M. Jr."

"The trickmaster's son, no doubt," Drew thought outloud, agitated. He had heard of the famous 'trick house' on the route between Mauville and Slateport, but he had never visited. Apparently it was a side-show attraction for traveling trainers, a chance to test their wit in a puzzle room in order to obtain a prize in the back if they made it through. It was normally run by the trickmaster, a middle-aged man with a really bad sense of humor, but apparently he was away for some reason or another, and his son was filling in. _"But why would he kidnap Violet?" _the green-haired boy asked himself as he flung the back door open and stepped into what appeared to be the warehouse he had seen from outside.

The door seemed to swing automatically shut behind him. There were warehouse walls extending out on either side behind him, but boxing him around the front were what appeared to be thick, glass walls - mirrors. Drew's eyes went up. The walls went all the way up to the ceiling. An aggravated frustration coursed through him. He didn't have time for this! He was about to call out Flygon to smash through the glass when he took a step forward and his foot sank into the floor as he clicking sound rang in his ears.

_"Rosssrrr?"_ hummed his Roselia, turning about in curiosity. He looked down, surprised to see a pressed, foot-by-foot square switch beneath his shoe. There was another 'click' in the air and the glass wall in front of him creaked and slipped down into a trap door, opening a walkway of mirrors that veered in both directions. The Coordinator exchanged a look with his Poke'mon before veering left down the hallway of his reflections. He followed the pathway, turning this way and that, his head spinning from barely being able to see the actual walkway. When he reached the end of the hallway, he hardly realized it and walked straight into mirror. He growled softly, rubbing his forehead.

"There's got to be a switch around here somewhere," he thought outloud. "Look around, Roselia."

_"Rosr,"_ the rose-bearing grass-type nodded curtly and the two began stepping over every tile they could find, finally making their way back towards the original fork in the mirror way from the door, and then heading down the other hallway. It wasn't until they reached what seemed to be another dead-end (Drew's eyes were more alert now for where walls began and ended, but the effort made his head pulse behind his sockets) that Roselia trotted over a switch that clicked, and they heard the sound of wall sliding into the ground.

Drew knew a new passageway had opened, but where he wasn't entirely sure. It took a while for Roselia and him to make their way back through the hall of mirrors to find where an opening had been made. Come to find that this opening merely led a decent size "room" (walled in mirrors of course) that seemingly had no exits in it. They spent another great deal of time searching for another switch, only to hit one that (by the sounds of it) opened a mirror wall in the passageway behind them. Drew growled loudly in contempt, impatiently running his hands through his hair and sighing. This was taking way too long. By the time they found their way out of the "room", back into the old passageway, and through the new opening, it felt like every bit of half an hour had passed. Upon the running into the next dead-end, Drew had finally had enough.

"That's it..." he sighed, feeling his temple twitching with tension as he pulled Roselia's poke'ball from his belt. "Return, Roselia," he muttered and the grass-type gave him a slightly confused look before disappearing in a blink of red light. He snapped the capsule back onto his waist before switching it for another and tossing it, slightly less gently than necessary, his frustration displayed in the toss. "Flygon!" he declared. "Smash through these mirrors!"

_"Rrreeeiiyyyggh!" _whinnied the dragon as it appeared in a flash of white light. It lurched forward, hovering only slightly with its strongly beating wings, and snapping its lean body around as its tail whipped through three mirror walls, busting them into a combustible array of broken glass. Drew threw his arms up, stepping behind his dragon, and felt the stinging wind of the shards flying past him, then peeked up past the green scales in front of him. _"Rreeiigh.."_ it hummed softly over its shoulder, turning to look at its owner with its long neck, a fierce gleam in its eye - as if to ask what they were waiting for. Just then, Drew noticed a slight movement on the other side of what had been a mirror wall. Blinking a few times, he shrugged past Flygon and looked ahead intently. Beyond what had been a mirror stood a young man. He was of a rather small build, but only an inch or so shorter than Drew, and had platinum-white hair that Drew guessed to be around shoulder-length; it would've been easier to tell if the boy didn't have it up in a short, almost bushy ponytail. Above his forehead sat wide, red-rimmed goggles that wrapped behind his head beneath his hair, the eyes they normally covered a gentle cerulean blue. He wore a red vest on top of a black shirt and cargo pants with various pockets and belts here and there. His arms too were thrown up to protect himself from the explosion of glass, and Drew noticed rather expensive-looking red fingerless gloves on his hands with a strangely mechanical look to them.

"What the - " he grunted, looking up with a somewhat disheveled expression, before blinking up in surprise at Flygon.

"I didn't know anyone else was in here," Drew murmured in an almost apologetic tone. Had he been in a better mood, it might've been sincere.

"It's fine..." the boy said slowly, trying to cast his glance away as if he didn't care. It wasn't working. "You shouldn't go around blasting through the mirrors though." His tone held a trace of scolding, but there was some gentleness behind it that prevented Drew from taking him seriously.

"I don't have time to work my way through this stupid maze!" the green-haired boy retorted in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm in a bit of a hurry." The other boy blinked once, as if he held some hidden concern, and waited curiously and patiently. He obviously expected an explanation. "The trickmaster's son kidnapped my .." Thoughts of Violet rushed into his head and his heart seemed to tug painfully on something in his throat. A shiver shot through him as he remembered last night in the Poke'mon Center when she had curled up next to him. His skin where she had been got hot and he found himself biting his lip, experiencing that recurring feeling of wanting to jump away. "...my girlfriend..." he finished finally, after realizing the boy had been looking at him intently.

"That doesn't sound like something that guy would do... Sure he's a little weird, but kidnapping?"

Drew shrugged at him; he didn't really care and honestly this boy was starting to waste his time. He made a point to turn away but the white-haired young man took a step forward.

"Maybe we could help each other?" he asked quickly. Drew did a double take and looked curiously at the boy. Just how could he help him? "I'm trying to get to the back room too," he went on. "And I'll battle any of the Instigators we encounter on the way."

"Instigators?" Drew repeated, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Oh, right," the boy said like he was remembering something and fell back. "This is your first trick house challenge... There are other trainers back here trying to finish the challenge, but there are also trainers hired by the trickmaster to try and slow you down that won't let you pass until you battle. Those are the Instigators." Drew nodded in a 'go on' fashion. "If we run into any," the boy added. "I can fight them while you go on. Besides, two people looking for switches and doors will be quicker." Drew let out a loud groan. Truth be told, he rather just blast his way through the mirrors, but if there were other people and Poke'mon in here, then he really shouldn't.

"Fine," he growled and returned Flygon to its poke'ball.

"My name is Eli," the white-haired boy said softly as they started looking for switches along the floor. "And you're..." He paused for a moment, as if he was trying to remember something in the deep background of his memory. "...Drew...right?" The Coordinator blinked.

"Are you a fan or something?" Drew asked with an annoyed, forced smirk.

"Not really," Eli chuckled quietly. "I've heard of you though. I'm heading to the National Grand Festival as well." Drew's eyes twitched slightly.

"So you're a Coordinator?" he pushed.

"Oh, no," the boy replied quickly. "I'm just going to meet a friend." At being told they were traveling in the same direction, Drew's mind quickly gave a lurch. Don't say it... Don't say it...

"Hey, after we rescue your girlfriend, we should just travel to Slateport together...?" exclaimed Eli in a generally good-natured tone. Drew flinched. He said it. With a groan, he rolled his eyes and gave no answer.

Violet struggled helplessly against what she had discovered to be thick, vine-like appendages, glaring at the trap and twisting and turning in hopes of seeing her attacker.

"Tangrowth!" came the scolding declare. She blinked her bright eyes forward to see a young man, perhaps in his early 20's at the most, glowering with his hands on his hips. He had greasy black, almost blue, hair that looked like it was trying to fall over his eyes and he wore obnoxiously large and round, black-ripped glasses that were tapped together in the middle. Prickly hair clung around his chin and his pants, shirt, and thin-looking jacket had a strange slimy look to them.

_"Taaane, tane..." _crooned the large bundle of vines behind Violet. She leaned back to peer up at it, seeing its sadly narrowed eyes in the depths of the plants. A mumbling sound squeaked out of her mouth as she tried to speak behind the vines that were wrapped around her mouth.

"Oh geez, Tangrowth! Let her go!" the young man ordered, pushing and pulling at his Poke'mon's tendrils. It made a whining sound and unwound the purple-haired girl from its clutches. "I'm so sorry for my Tangrowth," the blue-black-headed man said with a frown. "He has a bad habit of picking up people off the Cycling Road." He once again turned to glare at his grass-type, to which the thing flinched back as if it weren't the 6 ft tall one in the relationship. Violet blinked once, then beamed as she realized the situation wasn't dire at all.

"It's fine," she grinned. "Just surprised me, 's all! I'm Violet!" The young man smiled at her and gave a cute bow.

"I'm trickmaster jr," he said slowly, seeming to expect the giggles that he received from her. "Buuuuuuut... You can call me Terry," the young trickmaster added quickly with an awkward smile as if he had experienced this situation once before already.

"What is this place?" Violet asked, her mouth making its curious 'o' shape as she looked around and realized that she was in a cozy, little room with a table (with a cute table cloth), some chairs, cabinets, a few other pieces of furniture, and a few doors leading elsewhere.

"Oh," Terry muttered. "It's the Trick House." Violet only tilted her head in response. "Trainers come here to see if they can get through the puzzle rooms my dad designs," he explained.

"Ooooh," she cooed as if it suddenly made sense, then let out a giggle. "That sounds like fun!" Terry gestured politely to a seat for her to take it before sitting down himself across the table, his Tangrowth sulking in the corner.

"Eh," he grunted, shrugging. "This is more of my dad's thing. I'm not really into it. I'm just holding down the fort while he's away on his trip to the Sinnoh region." There was a silence for a while, as if neither knew what to say. The only thing that could be heard was the guilt-ridden groans of Tangrowth in the background. "Soooo... What were you doing on Cycling Road anyway?" he asked.

"Oh," Violet squeaked as if suddenly remembering. "My boyfriend and I are on our way to Slateport City for the National Grand Festival!" She beamed widely at him. "But then we were attacked by a group of bikers... and that's when Tangrowth grabbed me." Her peach-like face turned to the large grass-type. "I guess he kinda saved me!"

_"Taaaangroooowth!" _it exclaimed happily, quickly nodding it's head and happily flailing it's vinery. Terry rose an eyebrow and gave his Poke'mon a wary glance like he wasn't sure whether or not to believe it.

"Well..." he said after a pause. "I'm glad you're alright." Then his eyes twitched and got slightly wider. "What about your boyfriend?" Violet's gaze widened as well, her face appearing to quiver.

"Oh no!"

"Hang on," Terry cut her off before she could get too upset. "I'm sure he's fine. In fact, he's probably looking for you right now." This seemed to calm her down slightly, but the frown remained on her lips.

"Well... That does sound like Drew..." She giggled softly, then flashed a half-smile. Terry returned it.

"Can I get you anything...?" he offered politely, standing up.

"Finally!" Eli exclaimed as they found the newest opening in the mirror wall and stepped through the pathway, Drew right behind him. The white-haired boy stopped for a moment to check his surroundings but Drew kept right on walking.

"This is taking too long..." he grumbled, scanning the floor for any signs of a new switch. He heard Eli sigh behind him.

"Are you always in such a foul mood?" he mumbled, and Drew could imagine the boy rolling his cerulean eyes. He almost couldn't help but feel amused by how much he was obviously getting on the boy's nerves. He gave no answer, but merely shrugged, and kept on walking as Eli caught up to his pace. The two veered the nearest corner, not expecting the blast of flames that spurted up in front of their faces.

"Whoa!" Eli shouted as both of them stumbled back a step, throwing their arms up in front of their faces. Startled from the flames, Drew gulped and then did a double take. Starring back at him with poised artillery was a snickering Magmortar. "Yikes..." the trainer next to him muttered, narrowing his gaze on the Poke'mon now. "What gives?" Magmortar took a step back to reveal a tall man, slightly on the cubby side, with curly hair and an over-sized t-shirt. Glasses set all the way up his nose, glinting with the light reflected by the mirror's around him so it was almost impossible to see through to his eyes. Standing beside him was a Blaziken, its wrists blazing with fire.

"Hello, challengers," the man grinned in an awkwardly high voice. "Prepare to battle, if you want to get through." Drew felt Eli tense next to him.

"This is an Instigator?" the Coordinator asked, casting him a sideways glance. The boy nodded.

"Go on ahead. I'll take care of this guy," he replied, tightening the gloves securely on his hands. Drew flashed him a curt, almost grateful, nod and ran ahead as he heard Eli groan behind him. "Fire types... Why does it always have to be fire types... Rai, Jaden, I need you!" He flexed his hands and the palms of his gloves popped open as a poke'ball appeared in either of his hands, seemingly out of no where, and he tossed them into the air as two flashes of white light revealed a Lucario and a Scizor. Rai, the Lucario, somersaulted into the air and knelt skillfully on the ground, peering up with fierce eyes as its appendages on either side of its narrow head flared up. Meanwhile, Jaden zipped overhead and hovered above the fire Poke'mon, the beat of its wings like a buzz-saw.

"_Sciz!"_ Jaden hummed, looking down at its ally.

"'_cario," _grunted Rai, nodding quickly as the two of them dove into battle.

"_Steel types..."_ Drew realized as he ducked behind a corner of the mirror wall and paused, checking back over his shoulder to make sure Eli's Poke'mon and the Instigator and his Poke'mon sufficiently distracted. Sure enough, he was free to run ahead as he pleased, but his eyes grazed over the battle scene one more time. Magmortar had let out a huge fire ball from its cannon, but both steel types were way to quick. Jaden zoomed overhead out of range and began letting down a barrage of air slash attacks while Rai leapt to the side, only to be intercepted by Blaziken and the two wrapped themselves up in blinding hand-to-hand combat. The unrelenting shelling from Eli's Scizor didn't seem to be affecting the fire type tank who kept shooting up jets of fire into the air that Jaden had to stop attacking long enough to zip around. The Lucario, who was sliding back from a blow from the Blaziken like it was nothing, looked up to get a face full of a flamethrower and threw its paws up. Drew grimaced as he looked on. Eli looked confident enough in his Poke'mon... but still...

He shook the thought away and turned to take another step, but something pulled him back as he heard the sound of Jaden being shot out of the air by a burst of fire and hitting the ground, sliding backwards into a mirror with a loud crash. He growled and turned on his heel, plucking a poke'ball from his belt.

"Vaporeon!" he called as the white light faded to reveal the aqua-blue Eevee-evolution.

"_Ve'!" _it squeaked, frills vibrating and tail up as it poised for attack.

"Drew?" Eli exclaimed. "I thought I told you to get going...?"

"Use surf!" Drew shouted, pointing towards the fire-types and ignoring Eli's shocked expression.

"_Ve'! ...Nya!" _Vaporeon squealed as it summoned a powerful surge of water up around it and barreled towards the unexpecting fire types. The two blinked at the sudden attack.

"_Mag..?"_

"_Blaze..?" _

They didn't have another moment to think before the strong surf rushed into them, sweeping them off their feet. The water whipped around the confines of the mirror walls, whirling around, with Vaporeon in the lead, behind Eli's Lucario, picking the jackal Poke'mon up on its crest.

"'_cario!" _Rai growled as the swell forced it forward and it propelled itself into Blaziken, turning a round-house kick into the fire-fighting type and slamming it backwards into the Magmortar, leaving both fire types in a dizzy pile beside their trainer when the water level died down. When the water disappeared, Vaporeon was curled around the Lucario's legs, shaking the water whimsically from its frills, blinking as its owner ran up to them.

"Is your Scizor okay?" Drew asked blankly, blinking at the red-armored Poke'mon.

"Fine," Eli muttered, kneeling next to Jaden and resting a gloved hand on its shoulder.

"_Scizzz..." _it hummed and gave its wings a gentle buzz, its voice confident and burly as if to say, "This is nothing..."

"Thanks," the white-haired boy said slowly, not meeting Drew's gaze. For a moment the Coordinator wondered if the boy was offended by the help, but he let his brain drop the subject. Instead, he let his gaze shift down to his Vaporeon coiled around Rai's paws.

"'_carrrrioo..." _it murmured down to it, closing its eyes and lifting its paws in front of it in a meditation position as its ear-appendages rose and the Poke'mon telekinetically lifted the water droplets from its fur.

"_Ve'!" _Vaporeon mewed happily and leapt onto its owner's shoulders. Drew ignored its slight wetness. He turned as Eli returned Jaden to its poke'ball, ready to continue making their way through the mirror maze, when a shuffling in his knapsack behind him made him stop and blink.

"Is your...pack moving...?" Eli inquired, raising an eyebrow. Rai's eyes narrowed and he took a cautious step in front of its trainer. Vaporeon bounded down from his shoulders as he swung the knapsack from his arms and put on the ground, flipping it open. From within its confines, shot a bright light. "Is that...?" the white-haired boy breathed. Some tiny little spark of excitement lit up inside Drew's chest and he pulled the familiar egg case from his knapsack, the egg within it shining bright white as it twitched behind the glass. He sat the case on the ground and immediately lifted the glass from the cushion and picked the poke'ball from the top of it.

"_Ve'...?" _Vaporeon cooed, taking a step closer to it and sniffing it slowly just as the glowing egg began to change shape. Drew's eyes widened as they shining form morphed into that of an egg to a small fox-like Poke'mon and the bright, white light faded away revealing the baby Vulpix. Only, when the light cleared, its fur wasn't the gentle cinnamon-color one would expect from a fox Poke'mon, but rather, a blazing gold, like a new earring, and glitter like stardust laced its the top layer of its fur, brimming from its single, curly tail.

"That's... That's a shiny!" Eli exclaimed, eyes wide.

"_Charles and Carletta are special Poke'mon ...so their offspring will be special!" _the daycare lady's words echoed in Drew's mind as he looked down at the baby Vulpix.

"_Vul!" _it declared, blinking its large, honey-brown eyes up at Drew. _"Vul...!" _He couldn't help it when the corners of his mouth tugged upward into a smile and he picked the baby Poke'mon up in his arms. _"Vul!" _it squeaked again and hid its nose against his chest, wrapping its one tail around it, and Drew petted its incredible soft, glowing fur.

"The egg must've reacted to the heat of the fire attacks..." he thought outloud, looking at the other Poke'mon owner. Eli blinked, still starring enviously at the baby shiny Vulpix, and nodded, then blinked again but this time with a different expression. Drew cast him a weird, curious glance. "Wait... I've got an idea..." The Coordinator rose an eyebrow. "Vulpix are born knowing how to breathe fire, right?" Drew gave him an "I guess so" look as he shrugged, still petting his new Poke'mon. Meanwhile his Vaporeon found its way back up his shoulders and looked past his ear, peering at the baby. "Have you ever seen glass heat up so much that it explodes?" Eli asked with a grin. Groaning, Drew rolled his eyes.

"Just get to the point..." he sighed, recognizing the growing excitement in the trainer's eyes. Apparently he got a rush from science-stuff like that...

"If Vulpix can heat up the glass quickly, and then Vaporeon cools off right before it explodes -"

"It'll shrink!" Drew exclaimed, cutting the boy off.

"And then we can get by," Eli beamed, folding his arms proudly. The green-haired Coordinator blinked his eyes, impressed. He had to admit, it was a decent idea.

"Alright, we'll try it." He patted the newly born Vulpix on the head and sat it down. Vaporeon scurried, following it down to the ground.

"_Vul..!" _it squeaked as it got to its paws and wobbled a moment but after some help from Vaporeon, it was walking on its own four feet without difficulty.

"Vulpix, can you heat that glass wall up?" Drew asked, looking down to his little Poke'mon as they neared the glass wall. It blinked its cute, wide eyes and sniffed its reflection, then yawned and let out a jet of flame that quickly extinguished itself as it snapped its jaws shut. Drew blinked in what shouldn't have been surprise, but he felt a little of it anyway despite knowing all Vulpix were born with a flame inside them.

"Great!" Eli grinned. "Now heat up that wall for us. Nice and hot!" The green-haired Coordinator cast him a sidelong glance that was ignored, then decided to let it slide that the trainer ordered his Poke'mon.

"_Vulllll!" _Vulpix cried as it let out an inferno from its mouth that waked up to the glass wall like waves on a seashore, turning the glass a burning red. Both boys eyed the glass carefully, not letting themselves blink. Drew could feel the energy from where he stood, and was sure he could feel the glass preparing to explode. Just when he figured it was about to, he opened his mouth to call off the attack, but Eli beat him to it.

"Good, now stop and Vaporeon, cool it off!" he said quickly, taking an anxious step forward. Again, Drew felt himself twitch as the boy commanded his Poke'mon, but he pushed it aside and replaced the feeling with pride as Vulpix cut off the stream of fire immediately and Vaporeon squired a forceful bombardment of cold water. Steam and sizzling erupted into the open air, blinding them. He threw his arms up to hide his eyes from the "smoke", and heard the sickening crackling sound of glass warping. When the water vapor cleared and Vaporeon called off its water, the boys looked up to see a crippled wall, folded in partially on itself like a dried-up cloth that had been soaked and had been left to dry incorrectly. Drew looked on, almost shocked that it worked.

"Awesome!" Eli exclaimed with more excitement than he should have.

"Now let's try the other side," the Coordinator reminded them all before they could get too excited. They nodded and Vulpix and Vaporeon repeated the process on the adjacent wall, once again shrinking the glass wall. Eli and Drew exchanged a few glances before looking at the gap between the walls, and it was all Drew could do to keep from smirking.

"_Sooooo much faster...!" _

"Mmmmmmm..!" Violet cooed as she put another piece of fluffy cake into her mouth and swallowed happily. "This is really good! Thank you for the cake! And I'm not the only one who likes it!" She looked down at her feet to see her Poke'mon enjoying their own slices of cake. "Right, guys?"

"_Sneaz," _Onyx Ice grunted curtly, not looking all to please but quickly taking another bite so it must be at least somewhat eager.

"_Rwarf!" _

"_Bre'!" _barked Dark Thorn and Ghost Ring happily as they each took large mouthfuls of cake.

"_...'saul..." _White Fang murmured, blinking around - almost as if wary of something, before taking another slow bite. Violet nervously giggled at her Poke'mon before taking another bite herself, to which Terry chuckled fondly at it.

"I'm glad you guys like it," he said. "I'm a much better baker than I am a trickmaster."

"Why don't you just tell your dad that you don't like being a trickmaster...?" Violet asked, tilting her head to the side in that cute way that she does. He looked at her and smiled again, perhaps at the expression.

"I couldn't do that to him..." he muttered in a bittersweet tone. "He loves this stuff. Besides, it's only for a few more days. I'll manage." The mauve-headed girl looked at the young man and frowned before taking another bite.

"Well..." she sighed after she had swallowed. "...if you say so..." She shook her head, making her fluffy hair sway back and forth. "But I would never do something like that that I didn't absolutely love to do..." Terry looked at her without saying anything for a moment.

"Do you love what you do with your Poke'mon?" he asked, resting his chin in his hand and his elbow on the table. The amethyst-eyed girl beamed widely.

"Of course!" He chuckled at her response.

"And what does your boyfriend do...?" he asked, seeming to slip back into a more friendly, less serious conversation topic.

"Oh, he raises Poke'mon too," she replied, then went on. "He's a Coordinator."

"Does he enjoy it?" the blue-black-haired young man went on, still smiling fondly. Violet sat quiet for a moment, thinking, with her lips puckered in that little 'o' shape as she thought.

"I believe so..." she said finally. "He seems to love Poke'mon Contests more than anything." At this, Terry blinked.

"Really?" Violet nodded furiously, still smiling. "What about you?" Then, she stopped, and looked at the young trickmaster curiously.

"What...?"

"He loves Poke'mon Contests more than he loves you...? Doesn't sound a very good boyfriend!" He made a playful chortling sound. "I'm kidding! I'm sure you saying that was merely an expression. She looked at him, her expression blank and off in space, as if in another world. "Violet...?" Terry muttered as he leaned forward.

"Oh... Sorry," she squeaked, shaking her head and looking back at him, a smile returning to her little, pink lips. "It's just that I -" Just then the sound of the door being flung open burst into the room and Violet stood up so fast she almost knocked the table over. The hackles of her Poke'mon raised and Onyx Ice's claws glinted with a battle-ready stance.

"What on earth?" Terry gasped as the door was blown open and Drew, Vaporeon and Vulpix at his feet, and Eli, a Lucario behind him, barreled into the room.

"Violet, are you alrigh-" Drew's words stopped short as his gaze fell on her and the cake passed out around them and the Poke'mon. He sparred them a few blinks then growled, feeling his temple twitch. "I thought you were in trouble!" he exclaimed in almost a scolding tone. Violet giggled slightly.

"So did I! Turn's out, it was just Terry's Tangrowth having some fun," she explained, pointing out the young trickmaster's grass type that was still sulking in the corner.

"Terry?" Drew repeated, then folded his arms and let a scowl appear on his face. "Who's Terry?"

"Oh," the young blue-black-haired man muttered, stepping forward and giving a short wave. "Hello there." Drew gave him an awkward glance but loosened his tense muscles and nodded shortly.

"This her?" Eli beamed from behind Drew, stepping side ways behind the green-haired boy to see Violet.

"Yeah," Drew muttered lamely with a shrug. "Violet, this is Eli," he went on, not bothering for further introductions.

"She's pretty," the white-haired trainer complimented, looking at Drew good-naturedly. Both Coordinators let a gentle brush of pink sweep over their cheeks and Violet laughed it off, while Drew shivered at the awkwardness of it and shook it away.

"I've been worri-" he cut himself off as he stormed closer to the mauve-haired girl, keeping a close eye on the Absol whose red eyes stayed narrows, but then holding himself back. _Worried?_ He sounded like a fawning mother! His eyes looked up to her and he took a quick, shallow breath. "...worried..." he finished slowly but more calmly.

"Sorry..." Violet mumbled back, not hiding the blush still on her face but looking away slightly nonetheless. The pink along her cheeks seemed to drift towards him like sweet scent and it wrenched around his senses, setting his awareness into a higher gear that made his heart thump ever-so-slightly quicker as he looked at her. This only lasted a moment though before he was washed over with a sudden dreary, heavy feeling when thoughts of last night hit his memory. He remembered pulling away and he gulped, his throat suddenly dry. He couldn't possibly be feeling guilty...? The thought was pushed away as Violet scooped up his new Vulpix in her arms, crooning over it.

"Aren't you just soooooooo cute?" she squealed, cuddling it next to her peachy face.

"_Vul!"_ it exclaimed happily, licking her cutely on the cheek. Drew held back a soft laugh and instead looked fiercely at Eli and Terry who were exchanging nonsense about the trick house itself. Probably about Eli's prize, Drew would guess. But Drew was no where near close to in the mood to listen.

"So how do we get out of here?" he asked lazily, returning Vaporeon to its poke'ball but allowing his girlfriend more cuddle-time with his new Poke'mon.

"I'll show you out," Terry said with a nervous smile and the young trickmaster preceded to show them out through a back hallway that led to the front room that Drew had entered in. After a few short goodbye's and Eli and Terry's discussion of his prize (to which Eli declined since he claimed "he had cheated" on the puzzle room; Drew would have liked to have told him he was being an idiot and would've taken the prize himself, but he wasn't offered), the trio were off.

"It was great to meet you, Violet," Terry beamed, shaking her hand fondly.

"You too, Terry!" she grinned, Vulpix in her free arm, clung tightly to her chest. "Good luck with everything." The two shared another glance and a nod before Drew shooed his girlfriend away from the trick house, much to Eli's amusement, and they set down towards the tall-grassy road that led south towards Slateport City. It wasn't long later that two noses perked up into the air.

"_Vul!" _Vulpix cried in excitement, leaping out of Violet's arms and bounding forward through the grass. The mauve-haired girl laughed and followed it, sniffing the air as well.

"I smellllll..." she trailed, racing after the little fire type.

"Violet!" Drew called after her as he hurried to follow, Eli on his heels and laughing at the young female's disposition. "Slow down!"

"I smelllll..."

"How do you put up with this?" Eli laughed behind him. The green-haired Coordinator shook his head. He'd never know.

"I smelllll... Ah! The ocean!" she exclaimed as she stopped atop the last heel and gazed ahead. Drew stopped when he had caught up with her, stopping to stand by her side. His eyes followed her line of sight to see an expansive city, bustling with people and colors, sitting on the edge of the sea. A gentle gust of wind blew towards them and he felt it dislodge the shape of his hair, and send Violet's into a confused array around her heart-like face, while Eli's ponytail quickly started writhing in the breeze.

"It's Slateport City, you guys," he grinned. Drew nodded, looking back and forth between the city and Violet who was wide-eyed in awe. This time he didn't hold back his smirk.

"The last time I saw the ocean was when we got off the boat at Lilycove..." she breathed, eyes sparkling. He chuckled at her.

"Yeah, so...?" This was when she turned to him, trying to hold her hair behind her ears but failing. Her pink lips spread thin in a huge smile.

"That means we've traveled almost an entire continent together!" she exclaimed. Her words hit Drew strangely - like both a bullet and a soft, welcomed pillow.

"Yeah..." he muttered, blinking slowly as he looked at her, but her gaze was already back on Slateport's skyline, like she didn't share the impact of her words with him. "We have..." Next to him, Eli gleamed at the couple and folded his arms.

"Surprised you put up with her that long...?" he teased. Drew shook himself and scoffed.

"Something like that..."


End file.
